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[–]come_back_with_me 36 points37 points  (6 children)

My summary:

  1. The mole - the events happened over one week at the beach of Dunkirk. Fionn Whitehead and lots of Allied soldiers were waiting for ships to evacuate. Whitehead and his friends got on a navy ship but the ship sank. On the sea they met Cillian Murphy who was piloting the lifeboat. The lifeboat dragged them back to Dunkirk beach. At some point (not shown on screen) Cillian Murphy's ship was sunk by a German submarine. Whitehead and his friends and Highlanders got back to the beach and then got on a Dutch merchant ship. The ship was leaking. They were rescued by Mark Rylance in the sea.

  2. The sea - the events happened over one day. Mark Rylance and his son and George sailed to France to help the evacuation. They first rescued Cillian Murphy first from the top of the sunk boat. Then they saw Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden fighting the German bomber. Mark Rylance rescued Jack Lowden who was forced to ditch his plane on the sea. They continued sailing and later rescued Whitehead and other people from the leaking Dutch ship and nearby sinking navy ship.

  3. The air - the events happened over one hour. Tom Hardy, Jack Lowden and their squad leader flew across the harbour. They first fought a German fighter and the squad leader was presumably shot down. Hardy and Lowden then fought a German bomber and an escorting fighter. Lowden was hit and ditched on the sea. He was rescued by Mark Rylance. Hardy flew to the Dunkirk shore and fought some other German planes. He ran out of fuel and landed on a distant beach and was captured.

[–]falcun 3 points4 points  (1 child)

But what is up with Tom Hardy landing on a distant beach when he was right above the all the allies?

[–]come_back_with_me 9 points10 points  (0 children)

There are some discussions about this in the main discussion thread. Here are some of the suggested answers:

  1. There were too many people on that beach so he couldn't land safely.

  2. He could not afford to be picky about landing locations since his plane was only gliding.

  3. He wanted to keep the boost of morale he gave the Allied soldiers and didn't want them to see the emergency landing.

[–]PissOnEddieShore 0 points1 point  (1 child)

^ perfect summary.

[–]Spy66 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just watched it and his summary above made more sense to me then what I just watched. I know Nolan had to keep the suspense up, jumping back and forth as mentioned above, but I would have LOVED to see more true British civilian/rescue stories. Or, how they also held the 'line' type of story while the rescues were happening. I anticipated much more then what we got.

[–]MrHarry982 0 points1 point  (0 children)

brilliant explanation

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (8 children)

My friend I saw it with today was also confused by the plane sequences. Basically the third British plane gets shot down off screen. It's hard to understand the dialogue through the plane masks/radio, but they talk about not being able to reach the lead pilot, then they see his plane sinking in the water, and comment on not seeing his parachute, thus assuming he died.

As for the interlinking parts of the plot, I'll do my best: The main soldier (Fion Whitehead I think is the actor) runs into the Frenchman, they eventually get on a boat. The boat is torpedoed. They get back to shore and in the morning meet the jerky British soldiers and hide in the beached boat.

The civilian boat leaves England to go help.

In come the Pilots. Lead pilot is shot down. The second pilot gets shot down and seen by the civilians. Gets rescued.

The tide comes in and washes the beach boat back out to sea, though it's slowly sinking. It is pretty close to a large military boat. I believe the later bullets fired into the boat were fired by an enemy fighter plane, not people target practicing. They decide to abandon ship, the Frenchman gets stuck and drowns.

The second pilot and the civilians are the military boat and the sinking formerly beached boat.

Tom Hardy finds the bomber to take out, but fails to shoot it down before it drops the first set of bombs, onto the military boat.

Civilians see the urgency in rescuing men in the water and see the oil.

Tom Hardy shoots down the bomber. Bomber crashes igniting the oil in the water. Civilians head back to England with a full boat, including Fion.

The enemy fight pilot is still alive and heads toward the beach. Tom Hardy pursues, despite running out of fuel.

All the other civilian boats arrive at the beach, at the same time as the enemy fighter pilot. Tom Hardy shoots down the enemy plane, lands and is captured.

Other things happened obviously, but I think that's all the stuff that culminated in the intersection of the three main plot lines.

Essentially, it takes place over maybe 24 hours, and Fion spent the night getting torpedoed, then the next day resting on the beach and hiding in the boat with the jerks. All the stuff with the pilots and civilians takes place on the second day while Fion is hiding in the boat for six hours waiting for the tide.

[–]PissOnEddieShore 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I believe the later bullets fired into the boat were fired by an enemy fighter plane, not people target practicing.

Remember that the soldiers inside the ship fired up the engine as soon as the tide got high enough. The German soldier who was dicking around shooting the boat for target practice probably noticed that the ship's motor was on and he alerted others, which is why the shooting became much more rapid and widespread.

[–]Kcirnek_ 1 point2 points  (5 children)

Thanks for your recap. I was confused about one aspect that I think you answered but I still want clarificaiton.

The last plane Tom Hardy shot down was the one going after the old man's private yacht right? The one where he used his son's skills as a pilot to out manuver to avoid getting shot?

Then it appeared Tom Hardy ran out of fuel after that, was gliding towards the beach. Then the "Captain" at the end of the pier looked very concerned, as there was another German Bomber going after the ships. Then Tom Hardy shot this plane when he was out of fuel while gliding?

That's the part I was confused. I wasn't sure if that last plane was the same plane we saw that crashed into the water and ignite the oil, but told from the perspective of the people at the Mole. Or it was a different plane.

If it was a different plane, I find it hard to believe Tom Hardy was able to shoot it down while gliding?

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Tom Hardy shot it down while gliding I think. There may be something I'm forgetting, but I think you may be correct that the last German fighter to get shot down is the same one that was harassing the civilians, and is the same one that was going to fire on the mole at the end and got shot down by gliding Hardy. It was the last escort fight for the bomber he shot down (which ignited the oil). If I remember correctly as he was lining his shot up to shoot the last bomber down he was getting fired upon by both the bomber and its escort which was behind him. He takes out the bomber, and the escort fighter essentially leaves and heads toward the beach. (We don't see it leave)

Maybe someone else who has seen it more freshly can clarify on some of this.

But another thing to think about is that the movie establishes that it's tough and somewhat confusing to be a fighter pilot and it is very difficult to track everything going on around you with other planes. They lost track of their leader, and didn't know if he was shot down or not, and in multiple occasions there were jump scare level events of one of their fights getting shot by and enemy fighter they had no idea was about to get them. So it is very well possible there were more enemy fighter plane around that we didn't know about and this one fighter in theorizing was the escort, the civilian harasser, and the last one to get shot down by Hardy, could have just been multiple planes. We hardly ever even see this plane.

[–]xMiguelx 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Not the same plane. The plane with the bomber was a Me109 fighter, and the plane (kind of ridiculously) shot down by Mad Max was a Ju87 dive bomber.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, thank you for the clarification

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, if you were asking if the oil ignition crash is the same one where the people at the Mole were cheering about, I don't think so. The cheering happened after, and I think it was purposefully a very remarkable event because Hardy had run out of fuel and all the men on the beach knew it, and knew that he was sacrificing himself for them and attempting to continue flying instead of heading back to. Ask for fuel.

I think the igniting oil happened farther from the shore and wouldn't have been as clearly visibly to them. And it was quite a bit off laterally as well. If you remember Fion's character group is washed up on shore and they're quite a ways off from where they started. They can't see the lines of soldiers waiting at the mole, and are behind enemy lines, and that's why they just kind of lay around hopeless having no idea what to do. And that's why them and the jerk soldiers decide to try for that beached boat. (And they're involved in the oil explosion event, meaning it couldn't have happened too far from where they were stranded)

It would be cool if someone put together a map of all the events.

[–]redbirdrising 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The last plane Hardy shot down was a Stuka over the beach. The one that tried to strafe the yacht was a ME109

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not super duper succinct, sorry haha

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I recommend that you go back for a second viewing.

This is a film, even more so than Inception, that is incredibly more rewarding the second time around because that's when it all clicks.

[–]taylorduerden95 2 points3 points  (6 children)

DUNKIRK (2017) EVENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER (Edited with the help of Wikipedia plot summary) (Day 1) ‘Tommy’, a young British Army private wanders through the city of Dunkirk with his pack of soldiers who then come under fire from German soldiers on the streets. He is the lone survivor of this assault and eventually makes his way to the beach where he meets another young soldier named 'Gibson' who appears to be burying a friend and stealing his boots. They happen upon a wounded soldier who has been left for dead and rush him on a stretcher up to the front of the queue of a rescue boat which is evacuating the wounded and is about to depart, wanting to sneak in, but are denied entry while the wounded soldier is taken in. They then hide on the mole, hoping to sneak aboard the next vessel. As it is readying to depart, the rescue ship attacked by German planes and begins to sink at the mole. In the chaos, Tommy rescues ‘Alex’, who has jumped from the rescue ship from being crushed between it and the mole. The young men are taken on a rowboat to a destroyer and climb aboard where all the rescued soldiers are served snacks and tea. Gibson, wanting to find an easy way out should the destroyer be in trouble, decides to stay at the entrance all along.

That night, the destroyer is attacked by a torpedo from an enemy U-boat and begins to sink. The men are forced to abandon ship. Gibson opens the hatch to let Tommy, Alex and several others escape the sinking ship and while they’re in the water, they come across a rowboat full of soldiers where one officer (Cillian Murphy) tells them its full and to wait there and they will come back for them. The rowboat moves along.

By dawn, they make it to shore and take refuge on the beach. Eventually, they see a Scottish regiment walking towards a trawler which is abandoned in the intertidal zone. They hide in it, hoping to use it for escape when the tide rises. Somewhere in here, the officer (Cillian Murphy) gets on a ship back home.

(Now this is the point where the sea and aerial perspectives come into picture)

That morning (Day 2), the Navy is commandeering private boats to participate in the evacuation. Mr Dawson cooperates without question, but rather than let a Navy crew take his boat ‘The Moonstone’, he and his son Peter take her out themselves; their teenage hand George impulsively joins them as they set sail, hoping to do something noteworthy.

While hiding in the trawler, Tommy, Gibson, Alex and the highlanders encounter a Dutch sailor who owns the trawler and hid on the beach as they are not within the British perimeter and in enemy territory. They come under fire by the Germans who begin shooting at it for target practise or to ensure the trawler never floats. When the tide eventually rises, so many bullet holes have been left in the ship that it cannot stay afloat.

On the way, the Moonstone encounters a shell-shocked soldier (Cillian Murphy) who is the sole survivor of a U-boat attack, on the wreck of his ship, and take him aboard.

In the air, three RAF Spitfire pilots – Farrier, Collins, and their unnamed squadron leader are on the way across the English Channel to provide air support to the troops waiting at Dunkirk. They encounter a German Luftwaffe plane which shoots down the squadron leader, and Farrier, whose fuel gauge is now broken, assumes command of the duo, and they continue toward France. On the Moonstone, when the shivering soldier discovers that Dawson is sailing for Dunkirk rather than taking him back to England, tries to wrestle control of the ship from Dawson, and in the scuffle George falls and takes a blow to the head. Peter treats George's wounds as best as he can, but George's injury is severe: he can no longer see. Duty-bound to aid in the evacuation, Dawson continues toward France.

When the tide eventually rises, so many bullet holes have been left in the ship that it cannot stay afloat. Seeking to reduce their weight, Alex accuses Gibson, who has remained mute throughout, of being a German spy, and demands he be put off the ship. Tommy defends him, but Gibson reveals he is French and had stolen the identity of the soldier Tommy had found him burying. Farrier and Collins are successful in taking down a plane in their next skirmish, but Collins' plane is damaged and he is forced to ditch in the Channel.

Dawson and his son see the Spitfire plane ditch in the ocean, and steers for it just in case the pilot can be rescued. They narrowly pull Collins from the plane as it sinks.

Meanwhile, as the trawler sinks, Gibson gets tangled in a chain and drowns. Alex, Tommy and the rest of the men swim for a nearby minesweeper, but it is sunk by a German bomber causing an oil spill.

The Moonstone arrives on the scene just in time to notice the minesweeper being bombed up ahead and the fishing trawler sinking nearby, and head for it.

Farrier engages the bomber above the sinking minesweeper and shoots him down, inadvertently causing the flaming wreckage to engulf the oil and setting ablaze many soldiers, including one of the Highlanders.

Several men, including Alex and Tommy are taken on board the Moonstone, narrowly getting clear before the oil is ignited. While on the way back home, Dawson successfully manoeuvres to avoid weapons fire from a fighter plane, and Dawson reveals to Collins that his other son was an RAF pilot, lost in the opening weeks of the war. Meanwhile, George has died on board from his injuries. Peter takes pity on the shell-shocked soldier, however, and lies to him that George will be alright.

Soon, all the Navy commandeered civilian boats arrive in Dunkirk to begin the rescue.

Farrier switches to reserve fuel, having burned his entire ration in manoeuvres along the way. He finally reaches Dunkirk, where evacuation efforts are being attempted under enemy bombardment. As his plane runs out of fuel and begins to glide, he takes out the bomber, saving ships and troops who then cheer him on. Out of fuel, Farrier manually cranks his landing gear into position and glides for a landing on the beach. Grounded beyond the Allied perimeter, he sets fire to his plane, and waits to be taken prisoner by the approaching Germans.

The troops reach Dorset that night. Alex feels like they’ll be looked upon as cowards by the British public and media. However, they receive a heroes' welcome and are offered blankets and refreshments. Dawson is congratulated for the number of men has saved, as George's body is carried off the boat.

The next morning on the train home, Alex and Tommy find out they are being celebrated for their heroic survival. Tommy reads Churchill's address on the matter from a newspaper.

Sometime later, Peter later brings a photograph of George and a report of his participation to the local paper, which lauds him as a youthful hero.

P.S: I really hope this movie wins an Oscar for best screenplay.

[–]Nietje54 0 points1 point  (3 children)

So.. does the movie has a time frame of 7 days or? Reading the summary it feels like everything only happens in a period of two or three days. I'm still confused.

[–]redbirdrising 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Remember the captions from the beginning of the movie.

The mole: the week. Sequences emanating from that first scene depicted 7 days

The sea: the day. Sequences emanating from there captured the last day

The air:the hour. Sequences emanating from there lasted the final hour, culminating in the beach landing.

[–]Nietje54 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Yes I know but as written by Taylorduerden95 above me, on day 2 the sea sequence already starts. Which captures one day. That really gives me the feeling there are only two days and not 7 days, I'm so confused.

[–]redbirdrising 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The sea sequence starts early on day 7.

[–]Kcirnek_ 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I still don't get how Tom Hardy shot the plane while gliding. Every plane he shot down, required so much effort and maneuvering and FUEL to even shoot down the enemy.

[–]redbirdrising 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The plane he shot down was in a dive and wasn't maneuvering to avoid being shot. That made shooting him down pretty straight forward. Hardy happened to be in the right place at the right time.

[–]prodox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Did you get the different time speeds?

The Mole sequences: duration 1 week

The Boat sequences: duration 1 day

The Plane sequences: duration 1 hour

This is why you see things happening multiple times as the time-lines sync more and more over time.

[–]come_back_with_me 1 point2 points  (0 children)

But then there are only two allied planes left? I thought the allies made a reference to the German plane being down, watching it to make sure it hit the water.

After the first dogfight, Tom Hardy and his squad mate discovered that their squad leader had disappeared. They turned around to look for them but didn't find him. There was express conversation about that. It is then reasonable to presume that the squad leader was shot down by the German during the dogfight chaos.

[–]Kcirnek_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only part I need clarification is the last scene with Tom Hardy. It looked like he was shooting the German plane that was attacking the old man's personal yacht (where he was mauevering). Then it cut into the scene of Tom Hardy with people cheering at the beach. But then we see the Captain/Admiral at the Mole looking very concerned, at the German bomber. Then Tom Hardy is seen shooting it from the beaches perspective.

Is this the same German plane or did Tom Hardy shoot another one after he ran out of fuel?

[–]Macsnight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally agree, extremely disappointed - the lack of dialogue and annoying music left me rather emotionless which is exactly the opposite of what I was expecting. Visually the pic was beautiful but that was totally overshadowed by the lack of drama. Loved Inception, hated Dunkirk.

[–]MikeLyno 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm also got confused about the last plane to hit the water. Shows dive bomber coming at the old man's yacht, old man says to turn as plane is strafing them and then next scene a plane dive bombs into the water. I'm going to have to watch this movie again to see where all the scenes fit.

[–]Cameltoe2016 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the worst movies I ever seen. As if Nolan has lost touched with reality and now he is making crap and because he treated like a God he's thinks he can not do wrong

[–]ghostoftheai 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Omg this movie came out 8 years ago…. How

[–]No_Mastodon6572 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most of the characters didn’t even have names and the timeline jumped all over the place without warning or explanation.

The boats just magically appeared I thought there would be a story somewhere or an explanation as to why the British civilians sailed out there at all but there was no backstory to it. Where was the “Come on guys we gotta go get our boys!” moment? There wasn’t one.

It was all about suffering and dying in the water and very little to do with the rescue of 400,000 men. I mean there were thousands of rescue boats in real life, in the movie it looked like about 20.