The film is famous for a continuous five-minute steadicam shot on the beach at Dunkirk, capturing the chaos of war in a single, unedited take.

The film is divided into three distinct acts, each with a radically different visual and emotional palette.

The film’s genius is its structure. It promises a romance, delivers a tragedy, and then, in its final ten minutes, delivers an emotional gut-punch that re-contextualizes everything you have just watched.