Christopher Nolan Called This War Epic His Most Experimental
Tom Hardy reunites with Christopher Nolan in another masked, high-stakes role. Among Nolan’s films, Dunkirk stands out as one of his least appreciated works, arriving after his early independent projects and lacking the high-concept spectacle of Interstellar or Inception.
The war film marked Nolan’s venture into historical storytelling, focusing on the underrepresented British conflict. It is widely regarded as a masterclass in filmmaking, featuring a nonlinear narrative structured across three distinct timeframes. Rather than depicting the battle itself, the film emphasizes the characters’ experiences in an impossible situation.
“I would say Dunkirk is my most experimental structure since Memento. I tried to give the audience an experience that would wash over them. They’ll sit back and—I won’t say enjoy the ride, because this is a very intense ride—but experience the film. I never want the audience to watch the film in an overly cerebral way. It’s not meant to be a puzzle. It’s meant to be an experience.”
Memento, an early highlight in Nolan’s career, starred Guy Pearce and told its story partly backwards from the perspective of a man with short-term memory loss, while the rest unfolded chronologically. This approach added a unique twist to the neo-noir tale of a man seeking justice for his wife’s murder.
Dunkirk remains a testament to Nolan’s ambition and his ability to craft immersive, emotionally charged cinema.