"Dunkirk"

[Harley Starr]

"You cannot have your way in every particular." -Rooster Cogburn.

Setting high expectations, reasonable or not, will ensure some measure of chronic dissatisfaction.

Adios.

[PJ Hardtack]

Yup.

I'm reminded of the old adage - "Do not undertake a vast project with half vast ideas and preparation."

[PJ Hardtack]

I'm beating a dead horse, but I recently watched "Blackhawk Down" for the fifth or sixth time.

Some have been saying how great "Dunkirk" was because of the "up close and personal" aspect of the jumping back and forth, disjointed scenarios in the confusing time lime.

You had that very much so in "Blackhawk Down" over the time line of the Mogadishu incident with small but integrated scenarios involving both small groups and individuals. Due to careful editing, it worked. You really got the feeling of what it must have been like to be there.
Compare that to the stilted, mumbled dialogue of Kenneth Brannagh in "Dunkirk", the unintelligible babble of the Spitfire pilots and the inexplicable, catatonic calm of the Brit yacht owner.

The commanding General in "Blackhawk Down" had the fewest lines of the major characters, but you got a real sense of the anguish he went through as the operation went south and things rapidly fell apart.  Compare that to the mumbled dialogue of Kenneth Brannagh, the unintelligible babble of the Spitfire pilot and the catatonic calm of the Brit yacht owner.

The main story line of "Blackhawk Down" centred on the individual soldiers who adapted and coped with the rapidly deteriorating situation. It was also helped by the great helicopter scenes and mock ups of the crashed aircraft. I don't know how much of it was done by CGI, but it worked.

[Baily Cargill]

I enjoyed the movie. I don't care about character development. The audience should experience being there themselves.

[nagantino]

Watched the movie today and despite myself, I enjoyed it. The jingoistic ending was to be expected....it's a British War movie, but "I'm staying for the French" was just risible. However, the clarity of the filming was a pleasure to look at, 65 mm film, not digital, and I was prepared to go along with its shortcomings. Making a movie involving thousands of uniformed men must be a logistical nightmare, I know all that, but I thought it better than A Bridge Too Far. The real pleasure of the movie is the flying sequences. I could look at 2 hours of that alone.

Jingoistic British flag waving but I enjoyed it.

[Baltimore Ed]

Watchedit last night. Sorry but I didn't like it. Too slow and the music was repetitions. Didn't know that you could glide a spitfire at 100 feet alt, they must be incredibly light. No Band of Brothers, Gettsburg or Saving Private Ryan.