What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
WW2 breaks out and the Germans are doing the blitz through France. There were a bunch of English troops stationed in France who were trying to retreat. Dunkirk is in France and was the battle where the English retreated but managed to get more troops and supplies out then was projected, making it a moral victory.
What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
WW2 breaks out and the Germans are doing the blitz through France. There were a bunch of English troops stationed in France who were trying to retreat. Dunkirk is in France and was the battle where the English retreated but managed to get more troops and supplies out then was projected, making it a moral victory.
Thanks. I heard Nolan say this was one of the greatest stories few talk about. I am very interested.
What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
As stated above, it was not a "victory" but had the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) been annihilated as it should have been, Britain would probably have had to sue for peace with Hitler. The controversy rages to this day why Hitler halted the panzer divisions before Dunkirk.
Regardless, it is one of the most amazing historical feats of WWII.... it's an amazing TRUE story.
or at least very 1 dimensional. Technically sound, but creatively he just isn't there as evidenced, among other things, by greenlighting Bane's voice in an overall catastrophe of a film. What was he thinking...
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
or at least very 1 dimensional. Technically sound, but creatively he just isn't there as evidenced, among other things, by greenlighting Bane's voice in an overall catastrophe of a film. What was he thinking...
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
Uhh....agree to disagree here. Outside of the Batman films (will agree DK Rises is the weakest of the 3) You have 4 films that are, as far as I can tell, the farthest thing from one dimensional: Memento, The Prestige, Inception & Interstellar. Not a film industry person at all so I'm curious to hear how you would describe those films as one dimensional.
I can certainly understand taking issue with Returns and Interstellar, though I still think they're decent films. But he's made at least 5-6 really good films.
Lacking creativity? Inception may have had some faults, but it certainly didn't lack for creativity
Falls apart a bit toward the end, but that's a good film.
Shitty director was the wrong description, on second thought. He's pretty good in most respects (although, again, the Bane decision wtf...)
He's a shitty storyteller. The screenplays are blatantly subpar and it shows in the final product. Leave the screenplays to the pros and you make them into a film.
I just looked it up and was unsurprised to learn he did not write Insomnia. Inception and Interstellar? These films were an utter mess because of the scripts.
The non-fiction realm might provide beneficial confines for him. In other words we won't see motorcycles fly out of nowhere. So I will definitely enter this film open minded and, again, would love to see another long overdue battle heavy war film.
The films he wrote have some really interesting concepts and ideas, but do get a bit convuluted and difficult to track. Insterstellar more so than Inception, which I thought still stuck the landing pretty well.
I'll always see his movies though. He's immensely talented
What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
As stated above, it was not a "victory" but had the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) been annihilated as it should have been, Britain would probably have had to sue for peace with Hitler. The controversy rages to this day why Hitler halted the panzer divisions before Dunkirk.
Regardless, it is one of the most amazing historical feats of WWII.... it's an amazing TRUE story.
the list of individuals who can consistently & competently both direct and create scripts with no source material is extremely short.
Woody Allen obviously the master. Coens, Tarantino.
I have no desire to watch a film with an original screenplay by Peter Jackson, but I'll sure watch one based on a Tolkien book.
I do think it's silly that he (Nolan) keeps writing them cause they're mostly horrendous, but when you're making hundreds of millions a film I guess it's hard to argue.
maybe 6 months back because my wife never saw it. Definitely not his best movie. Memento and the Prestige were both better, IMO. Then he resurrected Batman and while the 3rd was an abomination, I chalk that up to him not even wanting to do it in the first place.
Whether or not you like his style, its unfair to say he's a bad or even average director. The guy writes and produces most of his work, which is damn impressive when you think about the scale of his movies.
What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
robbie, in addition to Giantsfan79's and Eric's comments, some striking aspects of this history (as Eric says, all true): Hitler's panzers and infantry were covering so much territory in France, coming SSW from Belgium and E from Alsace Lorraine that the British High Command did not have time or equipment to stage an orderly evacuation of the BEF, pretty much trapped with the Brittany (Normandy?) coast in the rear, and very outgunned and outnumbered vs. German ground forces and air support. There was no way to stage a counter.
Stunning as it turned out, as German forces were closing in through hilly but eminently passable terrain, German Generals contacted German High Command in Berlin for final orders, tactics, lines of approach/air support, etc. But Berlin Command dithered and delayed a day or three, and this was crucial for staging a most unorthodox and unpredicted evacuation.
I'm sure there are errors in the above, but as Eric said, without this result, Hitler may have been able to dictate Cease Fire/Truce terms to Churchill that would have been killers.
to this day, Dunkirk is not considered in a positive light by many French who felt like the English abandoned them to their fate (IMO, the English had no option, the Battle of France was decided as soon as the Germans broke through the Ardennes).
or at least very 1 dimensional. Technically sound, but creatively he just isn't there as evidenced, among other things, by greenlighting Bane's voice in an overall catastrophe of a film. What was he thinking...
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
Nolan is a severely overrated filmmaker. His second Batman film needed Ledger to help it clear the mediocre threshold. His third Batman film was an overlong, confusing mess. Interstellar was dumbed-down crap which was, again, way too long.
I have no idea why there have been, like, 7 BBI threads about this movie over the last few months.
to this day, Dunkirk is not considered in a positive light by many French who felt like the English abandoned them to their fate (IMO, the English had no option, the Battle of France was decided as soon as the Germans broke through the Ardennes).
Yeah that's ridiculous. I guess the allies (Brits) should have just fallen on their sword? If they fight, they all die. The only thing to do was flee.
or at least very 1 dimensional. Technically sound, but creatively he just isn't there as evidenced, among other things, by greenlighting Bane's voice in an overall catastrophe of a film. What was he thinking...
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
Nolan is a severely overrated filmmaker. His second Batman film needed Ledger to help it clear the mediocre threshold. His third Batman film was an overlong, confusing mess. Interstellar was dumbed-down crap which was, again, way too long.
I have no idea why there have been, like, 7 BBI threads about this movie over the last few months.
Because most people love Nolan's work. You and a few others are in the minority.
Interstellar is a brilliant film. Just about everyone I have talked to loves this movie. It could have been 2 hours longer and I would have wanted more. Loved everything about it.
is a bit overrated. It's a good or maybe even great summer batman movie. I have a hard time placing in the top 50 of all time movies but I don't think it's a disappointment by any stretch.
and disparagement on the part of the Brits (and US too, from afar of course) about how quickly French military "resistance" crumbled, and I think that's an element informing some part of the resentment.
I recently rewatched it. If you have Roku, get the XTV channel. It has the full World at War.
The piece on Dunkirk, I found it very interesting. Definitely bitterness from the French. Like Eric, I don't see how it could have gone any differently.
Amazing how the French folded so quickly in WWII. They were woefully unprepared. The Maginot line, goodness.
I thought Inception/Interstellar/Rises was a trifecta of convoluted shit...the last among the worst big budget films of all time. I was kinda on the Nolan train til then (although he lost me a bit with TDK but that film was sufficiently saved by Ledger).
As I mentioned earlier, he'd probably be better served (artistically, obviously $$$ wise he's set) to direct but not write. Because he really can't do the latter. With very few exceptions (and they're all legends) it's very tough to do both well.
Again, he may be also well served by a non-fiction storyline. I will go into Dunkirk open minded despite his losing streak.
Or are you getting defensive because I dislike a filmed you're gushing over? To be clear: I'm not saying you're an idiot for liking it. Subjectivity and all.
To say "most" thought it was "brilliant" is surely an overstatement though. The reviews were good, not great, and IIRC it was largely overshadowed by Gravity.
"Interstellar" the craptastic film that after 2 hours of convoluted shit tried to wrap things up by having a spaceman pop up in a bookshelf, and then made us wade through another hour of convoluted shit?
"Interstellar" the craptastic film that after 2 hours of convoluted shit tried to wrap things up by having a spaceman pop up in a bookshelf, and then made us wade through another hour of convoluted shit?
interstellar wasn't his best. At times it was silly for sure, but I still found it entertaining. But when Nolan hits all his notes right, there aren't many better than him... all the early signs indicate he does just that in this film.
Or are you getting defensive because I dislike a filmed you're gushing over? To be clear: I'm not saying you're an idiot for liking it. Subjectivity and all.
To say "most" thought it was "brilliant" is surely an overstatement though. The reviews were good, not great, and IIRC it was largely overshadowed by Gravity.
Gravity was such a beautiful technical achievement, but I didn't gush over it otherwise like many others did. I didn't care what happened to the characters. That to me is always the biggest dealbreaker. Still, the beauty of the film made up for whatever lack of connection I had. I'd recommend it without hestitation.
I think Nolan is the best storyteller in the world of cinema today. That doesn't always mean he tells the stories worth telling (i.e. Interstellar). But this movie sounds like a unique and captivating story and I wouldn't prefer anyone over Nolan for Dunkirk. It's gonna be awesome.
I like that he tries tackling big ideas. I also find his screenplays (and those with his brother) way too expository. His dialogue can mostly be broken down into three categories:
1. This is who I am.
2. This is what I'm doing.
3. This is my personal philosophy and moral code.
This works great in a film like Memento where the lead character is messed up in the head and has to keep explaining himself to everyone, less so in a film like Interstellar where we get shit like Ann Hathaway's scientist character proclaiming that love is the most important thing in the universe.
I do think that doing a war film like Dunkirk might help alleviate some of that weakness -- most of the dialogue will probably be declarations and imperatives, which of course is entirely appropriate for a war movie. I'm also intrigued by what I hear about the film's structure and its short running time. Looking forward to checking it out.
"Interstellar" the craptastic film that after 2 hours of convoluted shit tried to wrap things up by having a spaceman pop up in a bookshelf, and then made us wade through another hour of convoluted shit?
You didn't like the crew of astronauts explaining high school science concepts to each other on the spacecraft? You boor!
I think Nolan is the best storyteller in the world of cinema today. That doesn't always mean he tells the stories worth telling (i.e. Interstellar). But this movie sounds like a unique and captivating story and I wouldn't prefer anyone over Nolan for Dunkirk. It's gonna be awesome.
Nolan's storytelling is among his very weakest qualities. He's good at framing shots, and there have been some good scenes in his films, when you view them as standalones. But, man, does he really struggle to bring everything together, especially when the scope is large.
He takes on very big ideas, and then halfway through production, the ideas clearly have become too big for him.
Or are you getting defensive because I dislike a filmed you're gushing over? To be clear: I'm not saying you're an idiot for liking it. Subjectivity and all.
To say "most" thought it was "brilliant" is surely an overstatement though. The reviews were good, not great, and IIRC it was largely overshadowed by Gravity.
Not defensive at all. I just find it interesting when 3 people crush a movie that 10 people loved. To each his own, I don't blame you for hating it but it wasn't a terrible movie in the main stream. And it was better than Gravity. I enjoyed that too.
"Interstellar" the craptastic film that after 2 hours of convoluted shit tried to wrap things up by having a spaceman pop up in a bookshelf, and then made us wade through another hour of convoluted shit?
Lol yes that was it. It was great!
Ok I just checked RT and sure enough it wasn't universally praised like I thought. Generally good to great reviews but not a slam dunk. So I stand corrected.
war movies, and by most accounts, Dunkirk will be the real deal. I'm jazzed.
Just to raise expectations even more, I might watch "Fury" just before going to see Dunkirk so I can go from a real shitty war movie to a great one in one day!
Regarding the French, I think they get a bad rap. I am of the opinion that France fell not so much because the French couldn't/wouldn't fight but because the war was won by the strategy of both sides. Once the Germans punctured the front in the Ardennes and raced northward, the French were in an untenable situation. The British and French had instinctively moved into Belgium, falling right into the trap. At that point, only a miracle could have saved the French (and British...Dunkirk was a partial miracle).
The "Maginot spirit" is quite understandable. The Civil War (by 1864) and WWI had demonstrated that then modern technology had made offensive war extremely costly and perhaps forever unwinnable. Modern day trench warfare really started in the Civil War. The French were very heroic in WWI, but they got slaughtered. It wiped out almost an entire generation. So building super forts along the German frontier made complete sense at the time.
The French did not want to fight WWII (most of Europe didn't). And their leadership was living in terms of 1918 tactics. But had the Ardennes been defended, the outcome of the battle may have been different.
the last act was pretty horrid though when it becomes Brad Pitt's tank versus 1000 Germans and it's basically a push. I though the grime, horror and anger that the Germans were still fighting a hopeless war was well captured.
What I've read about Dunkirk is it's pretty bleak, and dialogue-light, which should assuage people who worry about Nolan's writing (for me his sound mixing is usually a far greater crime). Interstellar had some cool parts (the water planet where time passed much slower then in space, Matt Damon's desperation) but also fell apart in the last act, where turns out Love is the answer and zzzz. The Martian or even Gravity were the better recent space films.
WW2 breaks out and the Germans are doing the blitz through France. There were a bunch of English troops stationed in France who were trying to retreat. Dunkirk is in France and was the battle where the English retreated but managed to get more troops and supplies out then was projected, making it a moral victory.
Haha. Nolan made Vins 3 favorite movies of all time...
I want to see Dunkirk, Nolan needed a movie like this under his belt. I'm actually planning on seeing Valerian first though.
Because.. the embargo lifted today...
Sorry to put a damper on your night
Quote:
What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
WW2 breaks out and the Germans are doing the blitz through France. There were a bunch of English troops stationed in France who were trying to retreat. Dunkirk is in France and was the battle where the English retreated but managed to get more troops and supplies out then was projected, making it a moral victory.
Thanks. I heard Nolan say this was one of the greatest stories few talk about. I am very interested.
As stated above, it was not a "victory" but had the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) been annihilated as it should have been, Britain would probably have had to sue for peace with Hitler. The controversy rages to this day why Hitler halted the panzer divisions before Dunkirk.
Regardless, it is one of the most amazing historical feats of WWII.... it's an amazing TRUE story.
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
Uhh....agree to disagree here. Outside of the Batman films (will agree DK Rises is the weakest of the 3) You have 4 films that are, as far as I can tell, the farthest thing from one dimensional: Memento, The Prestige, Inception & Interstellar. Not a film industry person at all so I'm curious to hear how you would describe those films as one dimensional.
Lacking creativity? Inception may have had some faults, but it certainly didn't lack for creativity
Major exaggeration there
Shitty director was the wrong description, on second thought. He's pretty good in most respects (although, again, the Bane decision wtf...)
He's a shitty storyteller. The screenplays are blatantly subpar and it shows in the final product. Leave the screenplays to the pros and you make them into a film.
I just looked it up and was unsurprised to learn he did not write Insomnia. Inception and Interstellar? These films were an utter mess because of the scripts.
The non-fiction realm might provide beneficial confines for him. In other words we won't see motorcycles fly out of nowhere. So I will definitely enter this film open minded and, again, would love to see another long overdue battle heavy war film.
I'll always see his movies though. He's immensely talented
Quote:
What is the story? Nolan has had his popular movies but they have all been fiction to my knowledge. It would be really cool to see how he adapts to non-fiction.
As stated above, it was not a "victory" but had the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) been annihilated as it should have been, Britain would probably have had to sue for peace with Hitler. The controversy rages to this day why Hitler halted the panzer divisions before Dunkirk.
Regardless, it is one of the most amazing historical feats of WWII.... it's an amazing TRUE story.
Political. Delete.
:)
Woody Allen obviously the master. Coens, Tarantino.
I have no desire to watch a film with an original screenplay by Peter Jackson, but I'll sure watch one based on a Tolkien book.
I do think it's silly that he (Nolan) keeps writing them cause they're mostly horrendous, but when you're making hundreds of millions a film I guess it's hard to argue.
Whether or not you like his style, its unfair to say he's a bad or even average director. The guy writes and produces most of his work, which is damn impressive when you think about the scale of his movies.
Stunning as it turned out, as German forces were closing in through hilly but eminently passable terrain, German Generals contacted German High Command in Berlin for final orders, tactics, lines of approach/air support, etc. But Berlin Command dithered and delayed a day or three, and this was crucial for staging a most unorthodox and unpredicted evacuation.
I'm sure there are errors in the above, but as Eric said, without this result, Hitler may have been able to dictate Cease Fire/Truce terms to Churchill that would have been killers.
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
Nolan is a severely overrated filmmaker. His second Batman film needed Ledger to help it clear the mediocre threshold. His third Batman film was an overlong, confusing mess. Interstellar was dumbed-down crap which was, again, way too long.
I have no idea why there have been, like, 7 BBI threads about this movie over the last few months.
Yeah that's ridiculous. I guess the allies (Brits) should have just fallen on their sword? If they fight, they all die. The only thing to do was flee.
Quote:
or at least very 1 dimensional. Technically sound, but creatively he just isn't there as evidenced, among other things, by greenlighting Bane's voice in an overall catastrophe of a film. What was he thinking...
That said, it'll be interesting to see how he handles a grandly technical film like this. Not a good sign that he wrote the script, unfortunately.
Rental for me since the unbearably horrific Dark Knight Rises spoiled my desire to pay $15 for a Nolan film, but I'm mildly interested due to the subject matter. There hasn't been a solid battle heavy war film since Letters from Iwo Jima (although Mel's recent one wasn't awful).
Nolan is a severely overrated filmmaker. His second Batman film needed Ledger to help it clear the mediocre threshold. His third Batman film was an overlong, confusing mess. Interstellar was dumbed-down crap which was, again, way too long.
I have no idea why there have been, like, 7 BBI threads about this movie over the last few months.
Because most people love Nolan's work. You and a few others are in the minority.
Interstellar is a brilliant film. Just about everyone I have talked to loves this movie. It could have been 2 hours longer and I would have wanted more. Loved everything about it.
At that point, the only options were to escape or be annihilated.
I recently rewatched it. If you have Roku, get the XTV channel. It has the full World at War.
The piece on Dunkirk, I found it very interesting. Definitely bitterness from the French. Like Eric, I don't see how it could have gone any differently.
Amazing how the French folded so quickly in WWII. They were woefully unprepared. The Maginot line, goodness.
At that point, the only options were to escape or be annihilated.
I remember my dad watching that 35 years ago. I hated it then. Now I can't get enough....
I thought Inception/Interstellar/Rises was a trifecta of convoluted shit...the last among the worst big budget films of all time. I was kinda on the Nolan train til then (although he lost me a bit with TDK but that film was sufficiently saved by Ledger).
As I mentioned earlier, he'd probably be better served (artistically, obviously $$$ wise he's set) to direct but not write. Because he really can't do the latter. With very few exceptions (and they're all legends) it's very tough to do both well.
Again, he may be also well served by a non-fiction storyline. I will go into Dunkirk open minded despite his losing streak.
Now go ahead and poke logic holes in a sci-fi movie.
To say "most" thought it was "brilliant" is surely an overstatement though. The reviews were good, not great, and IIRC it was largely overshadowed by Gravity.
This is gonna be a good one.
interstellar wasn't his best. At times it was silly for sure, but I still found it entertaining. But when Nolan hits all his notes right, there aren't many better than him... all the early signs indicate he does just that in this film.
To say "most" thought it was "brilliant" is surely an overstatement though. The reviews were good, not great, and IIRC it was largely overshadowed by Gravity.
Gravity was such a beautiful technical achievement, but I didn't gush over it otherwise like many others did. I didn't care what happened to the characters. That to me is always the biggest dealbreaker. Still, the beauty of the film made up for whatever lack of connection I had. I'd recommend it without hestitation.
Just a brutal film to have to endure and the payoff after 3 hours was meeting an old lady in a retirement home in space.
1. This is who I am.
2. This is what I'm doing.
3. This is my personal philosophy and moral code.
This works great in a film like Memento where the lead character is messed up in the head and has to keep explaining himself to everyone, less so in a film like Interstellar where we get shit like Ann Hathaway's scientist character proclaiming that love is the most important thing in the universe.
I do think that doing a war film like Dunkirk might help alleviate some of that weakness -- most of the dialogue will probably be declarations and imperatives, which of course is entirely appropriate for a war movie. I'm also intrigued by what I hear about the film's structure and its short running time. Looking forward to checking it out.
You didn't like the crew of astronauts explaining high school science concepts to each other on the spacecraft? You boor!
Nolan's storytelling is among his very weakest qualities. He's good at framing shots, and there have been some good scenes in his films, when you view them as standalones. But, man, does he really struggle to bring everything together, especially when the scope is large.
He takes on very big ideas, and then halfway through production, the ideas clearly have become too big for him.
To say "most" thought it was "brilliant" is surely an overstatement though. The reviews were good, not great, and IIRC it was largely overshadowed by Gravity.
Not defensive at all. I just find it interesting when 3 people crush a movie that 10 people loved. To each his own, I don't blame you for hating it but it wasn't a terrible movie in the main stream. And it was better than Gravity. I enjoyed that too.
Lol yes that was it. It was great!
Ok I just checked RT and sure enough it wasn't universally praised like I thought. Generally good to great reviews but not a slam dunk. So I stand corrected.
I still loved it.
Just to raise expectations even more, I might watch "Fury" just before going to see Dunkirk so I can go from a real shitty war movie to a great one in one day!
Regarding the French, I think they get a bad rap. I am of the opinion that France fell not so much because the French couldn't/wouldn't fight but because the war was won by the strategy of both sides. Once the Germans punctured the front in the Ardennes and raced northward, the French were in an untenable situation. The British and French had instinctively moved into Belgium, falling right into the trap. At that point, only a miracle could have saved the French (and British...Dunkirk was a partial miracle).
The "Maginot spirit" is quite understandable. The Civil War (by 1864) and WWI had demonstrated that then modern technology had made offensive war extremely costly and perhaps forever unwinnable. Modern day trench warfare really started in the Civil War. The French were very heroic in WWI, but they got slaughtered. It wiped out almost an entire generation. So building super forts along the German frontier made complete sense at the time.
The French did not want to fight WWII (most of Europe didn't). And their leadership was living in terms of 1918 tactics. But had the Ardennes been defended, the outcome of the battle may have been different.
****comes to the realization that he may not be the best judge of movies once thought to be****
What I've read about Dunkirk is it's pretty bleak, and dialogue-light, which should assuage people who worry about Nolan's writing (for me his sound mixing is usually a far greater crime). Interstellar had some cool parts (the water planet where time passed much slower then in space, Matt Damon's desperation) but also fell apart in the last act, where turns out Love is the answer and zzzz. The Martian or even Gravity were the better recent space films.
****comes to the realization that he may not be the best judge of movies once thought to be****
Stand your ground...I like a lot of movies BBI doesn't, don't let them back you down. I liked Fury as well.