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Dunkirk is director Christopher Nolan’s extraordinary Warner Brothers feature depicting the historic WWII mass evacuation of 338,286 British troops from Dunkirk beach. A near impossible feat with Nazi planes providing constant bombing and the presence of a Nazi army that was getting ever closer. This encroaching reality becomes all too apparent in the opening scene of the film. A small group of soldiers walk through a tranquil and abandoned sea-side French town. Thousands of pieces of paper float in the air but the suspense begins when soldier Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) grabs one. They are German leaflets, inscribed with “We Surround You”.

With no one leading character, Dunkirk follows various experiences of this historic event from land, sea and air. What is common to all, however, is the deep-seated need to survive; which, at times, motivates the characters to act irrationally. The first strand of the plot follows a call from Churchill, around 800 private British boats sailed across the channel to help in the evacuation. Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders, Inception, Batman Begins) plays a shell-shocked soldier, picked up by a private yacht from his sinking ship that had been hit by a German U-boat submarine. Murphy deftly plays an angered and confused young man who tries in vain to stop the boat on its rescue mission toward the beach. On board is fellow Irish actor Barry Keoghan who plays George, a local Dover boy whose participation in the evacuation effort comes from a desire for adventure. Keoghan excellently exudes innocence and curiosity about the war, contrasting immensely with the reality that shortly greets him. The cast is remarkable with Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, James D’Arcy and Harry Styles in tow. Yes, that is Harry Styles from One Direction. He does a surprisingly great job at playing Alex, an outspoken soldier desperate to get home to England.

Nolan’s longtime collaborator, Hans Zimmer, composed the film’s striking score following the pair’s previous work on Interstellar, Inception and The Dark Knight Trilogy. Zimmer’s score manages to perfectly reflect each scene and set the gripping tone and suspense-filled atmosphere. Sound plays a huge part in the captivating nature of this feature. With screaming bullets, creaking metal on sinking ships, roaring planes as the Spitfires and the Luftwaffe battle overhead, exploding bombs and blaring warning sirens; noise engulfs the senses in this picture, dragging you into the harrowing situation.

Nolan’s adaptation of the evacuation of Dunkirk comes from the perspective of those involved. The mayhem and fear is accurately brought to life by Hoyte Van Hoytema’s skilful cinematography and wide angled shots. The use of thousands of extras as stranded soldiers, as many contemporary boats as Nolan could get his hands on, real military equipment and as little CGI as possible, the evacuation of 27 May – 4 June 1940 is realistically created on screen. Although the advancing Nazi army and the devastating Luftwaffe are an ever present threat, not a word of German is spoken nor a Nazi soldier given a glimpse on screen. The denouement of Dunkirk involved the halting of the advancing Nazi army, approved by Hitler on 22 May 1940 for strategic reasons, with the subsequent time awarded allowing  the British to conduct an effective evacuation plan. However, none of these historical details are explained in Dunkirk, a decision that makes the film all the more authentic. Like the soldiers, we are left without immediate contextual information, awarding us a glimpse at the all-encompassing horror of their experience.

For those involved, the Dunkirk evacuation was a victory in which the soldiers and rescuers, including many ordinary British civilians, were true heroes. Upon their arrival in England, soldiers Tommy (Whitehead) and Alex (Styles) are shocked with such a celebratory reception. Nolan captures the joy of the soldiers’ safe return home perfectly with crowds of smiling and flag-waving civilians waiting to greet their countrymen back to safety.

Dunkirk is a riveting tale of survival from a desperate and unpredictable situation. It is an unmissable film, well worth a trip to the Savoy for its €5 student Tuesdays.

Dunkirk opens in cinemas 21st July 2017.