Nolan: 'Dunkirk' a great survival, suspense story

By Zhang Rui
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, August 22, 2017
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Director Christopher Nolan and his film producer wife Emma Thomas are in China to promote their new film "Dunkirk" in Beijing, Aug. 21, 2017. [Photo/China.org.cn]



Director Christopher Nolan and his film producer wife Emma Thomas are in China to promote their new film "Dunkirk" in Beijing, Aug. 21, 2017.

"It's not a war film; it's a survival story and a suspense story," Nolan said. He is with his film producer wife Emma Thomas in China to promote the film. Nolan has accumulated a great fanbase in China with his hugely popular classics of The Dark Knight Trilogy, "Inception," and "Interstellar" in the Chinese market.

His new film "Dunkirk" follows the evacuation of British, Belgian and French troops from Dunkirk's beaches in 1940 after they became surrounded by the advancing German army - something Winston Churchill called "a colossal military disaster."

But Nolan, as a British-American, said he had heard the story "like a fairy tale" since his childhood but when he researched the historical details and events which really happened at that time, he became more and more convinced that "this is one of the greatest stories in human history."

The director said the biggest challenge is how to faithfully respect the historical events while providing an exciting experience for the audience. To truthfully reenact the events of this moment in history, Nolan and his cast and crew filmed at the actual locations including at the coast of Dunkirk in France, and used real boats, ships and weapons from World War II– at substantial cost.

Nolan revealed he invited Dunkirk evacuation survivors and families to be the first viewers of the movie, which they were grateful for. He said that the appreciation from the survivors and families is the best compliment for the film.

The producer Emma Thomas also added that casting the lead actors of the film "was really fun," "because we knew we would use fresh faces and it was exciting as we were going to bring new talents to the screen, which is part of discovering the stars of the future."

The fresh new faces include singer Harry Styles, a member of the famous boy band One Direction. Nolan regulars Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy are also starring in the film, as well as Oscar winner Mark Rylance. Thomas said it's funny that this time they discovered along the way that "if there's anyone that can bring the audience into the story, the character and the experience of the character with only one eye, we know Tom can do it. "

"Dunkirk" has grossed over US$392 million worldwide as of Aug. 20, 2017 and received critical acclaim with some critics calling it Nolan's best film to date, as well as one of the greatest war films ever made. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 93 percent based on 330 reviews.

The site's critical consensus reads: "'Dunkirk' serves up an emotionally satisfying spectacle, delivered by a writer-director in full command of his craft and brought to life by a gifted ensemble cast that honors the fact-based story."

"Dunkirk" is set to debut in Chinese theaters across the nation on Sept.1. The Nolan couple will join in a talk and exchange on Tuesday afternoon with Chinese filmmaker Wu Jing, whose phenomenal "Wolf Warrior 2" has grossed more than 5.1 billion yuan (US$766 million) in China.

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