<p> What makes Dunkirk such a great war movie? It's probably the sound. While the pacing is Christopher Nolan at his peak, the acting performances are excellent, and the visual effects superb, it's the sound that really takes your breath away. When all the soldiers are taking cover on the beach, for example, it's an incredible contrast between the chaos of the dropped bombs, and the eerie silence of the troops all standing up and reforming their queues. The spitfire engines? Visceral. The sound of water rushing into various boats as they sink, accompanied by the screams of drowning men? Chilling. Dunkirk isn't a thrilling war movie, or the most didactic, but the way it uses sound (or the notable absence of it) to create the menace and horror of each scene is second to none. </p>
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