Oppenheimer has been in cinemas since July 20, 2023. It is Christopher Nolan’s second major historical film after Dunkirk. The lavish epic is about a crucial period of the Second World War, just like part of Oppenheimer. Today you can see Dunkirk on TV. In this article we explain its very early history.
What is Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk about?
The Second World War has broken out: When Hitler’s forces begin their westward campaign in May 1940 and invade the Benelux countries, the surprised soldiers of France and Great Britain have to retreat. But thousands of Allied fighters – British, French, Belgians and Dutch – are trapped near the northern French coastal town of Dunkirk. The commanders consider the chances of rescuing these soldiers to be extremely slim.
Dunkirk – Trailer 2 (German) HD
Christopher Nolan has wanted to do the multi-million dollar Dunkirk for 20 years
Nolan tells the story in three timelines, which we explain in more detail here. One of the timelines is about a man, his son and another helper who travel from Great Britain to France on a small fishing boat to rescue at least a few of the trapped soldiers.
20 years before Dunkirk, Nolan already knew the history of the lifeboats. He and his wife Emma Thomas took a boat tour with a friend, Page Six reported. The tour should only last six or seven hours, they thought. “It became 18 to 19”said Nolan.
It was very, very cold. The sea was very, very rough […]. We got through this experience with a great deal of respect for what really happened.
However, it was another two decades before Nolan actually made the film. Probably no other director than him would have been given a production budget of $150 million to film the story. But it was worth it: Dunkirk grossed $512 million worldwide.
When is the war epic on TV?
ProSieben shows Dunkirk on Sunday at 11:25 p.m right after another Nolan film: Tenet. The replay follows at 4:05 a.m. You can also stream Dunkirk on Netflix.
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