Dunkirk

1. WAR OPENING SCENE- DUNKIRK (2017)

2. ■DUNKIRK DUNKIRK ■ Is a (2017) war film, written, directed and produced by Is a (2017) war film, written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan. It depicts the Dunkirk evacuation of Christopher Nolan. It depicts the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. It World War II. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. It has little dialogue, as Nolan sought instead to create has little dialogue, as Nolan sought instead to create suspense from cinematography and music. suspense from cinematography and music. ■ MAIN CAST MEMBERS MAIN CAST MEMBERS Fionn Whitehead Harry Styles Jack Andrew Lowden Tom Glynn- Carney

3. OPENING SCENE ■ Dunkirk (2017) Dunkirk (2017) - - Opening Scene Opening Scene - - HD HD – – YouTube YouTube

4. What narrative is given to us and from this what do we expect the rest of the films narrative will be from the little information we have seen? ■ The opening scene denotes a group of young males dressed in British army uniform. The group get shot at by oncoming open fire, only one soldier survives. This soldier proceeds to go towards the firing troops that are revealed to be in fact ’French’ (supporting the same ‘side’ as this English soldier’. ■ In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops were slowly and methodically evacuated from the beached using every serviceable and naval vessel that would be found. - This black screen with white words are flashed between the opening sequence. ■ The action highlights one particular soldier that manages to escape the initial open fire, leaving the rest of the group dead. We feel a sense of hope and luck for this young soldier. - The words establish where the movie is set in the context of WW2 and therefore sets up the narrative of where the story with end up, in line with the real outcome in 1945. (England and allies will defeat Germany) ■ Furthermore, the close camera work to the soldier establishes an intimate relationship between him and the audience. ■ This suggests that the film will follow how his experience will unfold throughout the story. The last image is of him looking out onto the beaches where the English troupes are lining up in hopes to leave.

5. How is the genre of the film set up ? Propaganda is a Subgenre of the Film Genre. In this opening scene, wee see Propaganda in the form of fliers falling from the sky on the French grounds being invaded by Germany. § ■ War is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. In this opening scene we are introduced to on land troops that will be transported by boat across the channel if they make it in time… ■ Initially, through Mise en Scene and costume, the genre of war is set up. The characters wear dark green English War uniforms, with crash helmets, survival bags and riffles.. These elements connote that the characters have been purposefully equipped for war. The long green coats and boots were conventional to British Army uniform.

6. Who is the target audience for this film, how do we know this from the opening scene? ■ In just the opening scene there are themes of; death, war, guns and violence. ■ We see 5 deaths in the first minute. ■ TARGET AUDIENCE: 15-45

7. How many characters are introduced and what do we know about them? How do we know this about them form the use of technical aspects? We are first introduced to six soldiers. A wide over the shoulder camera angle denotes the backs of all six soldiers walking away into the distance. This creates a lack of identity for each soldier and generalizes them to a wider soldier population. Jump cuts introduce three individual soldiers. Each soldier is scrambling for; water or cigarettes. These wide close up shots introduce the characters as desperate, a key theme to the film as a whole.

8. However, just as the audience are being introduced to the soldiers and understanding just how desperate they are to survive, diegetic sounds of loud gun shots make the soldiers suddenly flee. We return back to the wide angle over the shoulder shot of the six soldiers watching each of them (expect for one) get shot and fall lifeless to the ground. This camera shot reminds us that each of these men are not regarded as individuals in the war, but just mere soldiers. The opening sequence is vital in establishing key themes throughout the wider film. The audience are already introduced to the theme of the characters desperation to survive and the lack of individuality the soldiers have, they are a collective of soldiers/ bodies used to fight. In addition, the audience are introduced to the fact that the films POV will be largely that of the soldiers and their experience of the War, rather than the leaders or ‘famous’ figures in the war. One specific and unnamed soldier is highlighted in the opening sequence. This particular soldier escapes the open fire, by luck and manages to reach the Dunkirk beach. We are reminded as an audience that his survival is purely luck. Through unsteady hand held camera work the audience are at the edge of their seats watching this terrified soldier. He has to drop his riffle as it doesn’t load in time and run. Suggesting that he more cowardly and not the stereotypical heroic war hero.

9. Key Moment- CAMERA WORK I think the most impactful use of camera work is when five soldiers are killed in the street. A camera tracks the soldiers from behind as they run away from oncoming shooting. The camera is hand held movement, the camera jerks left to right sharply giving the impression that the camera POV is another soldier running. The camera looks left or right in the direction of the soldiers as they drop to the ground. This is very disorientating and stressful for the audience, resembling the emotion connected to the action in the scene.

10. Key Moment- SOUND And then suddenly, from the silence, we hear the piercing sound of gun shots. Despite not not being able to see the guns, just by hearing one terrifying shot and seeing the close up reaction of one soldier the audience are attuned to what is happening. The contrast between the silence and the gun shots is unsettling. It gives awareness to the fact that although a moment or situation may seem calm, in War you always have to keep your wits about you. Through the use of editing, what we can hear is amplified through the speakers. The rustling of the fliers is highly contrasting to the silence making it seem louder and uncomfortable to hear. The use of sound in the opening scene of Dunkirk is extremely impactful. Nolan has presented a completely naturalistic representation of the action taking place with only diegetic sound. There is hardly any dialogue and no non-diegetic SFX or music, just silence paired with the rustling of paper falling from the sky or the sound of the window opening as the soldier reaches inside a house to find cigarettes.

11. SUCCESSFUL OPENING SCENE? I think this is a very successful opening scene. It clearly introduces the war film genre conventions through the use of propaganda and mise en scene (costume). The most impactful element of the opening scene is the use of sound. The way that Nolan hasn’t used lots of dialogue to set the scene but starts the scene with silence creates a great sense of Enigma enticing the audience to keep watching!!! Then suddenly, an explosion of gun shots that engulf the silence and shock the audience.