Nicholas Saraceno

Great review.

The true brilliance to me here is you never see a German. He did a "Jaws." Played with hints of existence. The machinations of war are there sure, in planes and torpedoes primarily, but never a human face. The enemy was always a moment away, never truly there, never seen or in your face. Lurking. Present. Any moment, you know, in your bones, ready to strike. Many times heard before seen. Which was such a brilliant choice. Giving characters time, so much time, to prepare to die.

This whole film was a phenomenal achievement. It's the closest any movie has ever come to making an audience truly feel what an historic wartime event was like, I thought. It's what Saving Private Ryan did with its first half hour or so. But Nolan did such a better job of keeping character perspective clearer than in Ryan's opening, which allowed the audience (me) to buy into the narrative and experience the ride, instead of merely observing it. I think this is right up there with Platoon and Full Metal Jacket.