Dunkirk
May/June 1940. Four hundred thousand British and French soldiers are hole up in the French port town of Dunkirk. The only way out is via sea, and the Germans have air superiority, bombing the British soldiers and ships without much opposition. The situation looks dire and, in desperation, Britain sends civilian boats in addition to its hard-pressed Navy to try to evacuate the beleaguered forces. This is that story, seen through the eyes of a soldier amongst those trapped forces, two Royal Air Force fighter pilots, and a group of civilians on their boat, part of the evacuation fleet.
Despite a massive budget of $150.0M, Dunkirk became a commercial success, earning $527.0M worldwide—a 251% return. This commercial performance validated the ambitious narrative scope, illustrating how audiences embrace distinctive approach even at blockbuster scale.
3 Oscars. 68 wins & 236 nominations
Matt Zoller Seitz
"Nolan has made a film that feels as if it was discovered in a time capsule rather than created. It's a movie so grandly and indifferently old-fashioned that it makes you appreciate the power of simplicity."Read Full Review
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Dunkirk (2017) reveals precise dramatic framework, characteristic of Christopher Nolan's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 46 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.7, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Tommy
Farrier
Mr. Dawson
Commander Bolton
Collins
Alex
Gibson
Peter
George
Shivering Soldier
Main Cast & Characters
Tommy
Played by Fionn Whitehead
A young British soldier fighting for survival on the beaches of Dunkirk, representing the ordinary soldier's experience of war.
Farrier
Played by Tom Hardy
An RAF Spitfire pilot who provides air cover for the evacuation, making sacrifices to protect the soldiers below.
Mr. Dawson
Played by Mark Rylance
A civilian boat owner who sails to Dunkirk to rescue stranded soldiers, embodying civilian courage and duty.
Commander Bolton
Played by Kenneth Branagh
A Royal Navy officer overseeing the evacuation from the Mole, balancing pragmatism with compassion for his men.
Collins
Played by Jack Lowden
An RAF Spitfire pilot and Farrier's wingman, engaged in aerial combat over the Channel.
Alex
Played by Harry Styles
A cynical British soldier Tommy meets on the beach, desperate to escape by any means necessary.
Gibson
Played by Aneurin Barnard
A quiet soldier who joins Tommy, harboring a secret that affects his chances of evacuation.
Peter
Played by Tom Glynn-Carney
Mr. Dawson's teenage son who accompanies his father on the rescue mission to Dunkirk.
George
Played by Barry Keoghan
A young friend of the Dawsons who joins the rescue mission seeking to contribute to the war effort.
Shivering Soldier
Played by Cillian Murphy
A shell-shocked survivor rescued from a torpedoed ship, representing the psychological trauma of war.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Tommy and fellow soldiers walk through deserted Dunkirk streets as German leaflets rain down, announcing their encirclement. The eerie quiet establishes the desperate situation of 400,000 trapped Allied soldiers.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when German Stukas dive-bomb the beach and mole in a terrifying attack, killing soldiers waiting in orderly queues. Tommy barely survives by diving under the pier. The illusion of organized evacuation is shattered—this will be a fight for survival.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 23% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Tommy and Gibson board a hospital ship by sneaking aboard as stretcher-bearers—an active choice to abandon the queue system. Dawson refuses to let the Navy take his boat, choosing to sail to Dunkirk himself. Farrier commits to protecting the evacuation despite limited fuel., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat A false defeat: the minesweeper Tommy boards is torpedoed and sinks rapidly, trapping soldiers below deck. The shell-shocked soldier accidentally causes George's fatal head injury on Dawson's boat. The stakes escalate—death is no longer abstract but claiming named characters. Survival seems increasingly impossible., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The trawler fills with water from bullet holes. Soldiers turn on Gibson, revealing he's French (not even British), and demand he leave to lighten the boat. Gibson is shot and killed when a German plane strafes the vessel. The "whiff of death" is literal—Gibson, who helped Tommy from the beginning, dies while the others' cowardice is exposed., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 77 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. The armada of little ships appears on the horizon—hundreds of civilian vessels sailing to Dunkirk. Bolton sees them and is moved to tears: "Home." The synthesis of civilian courage with military need creates the possibility of salvation. Farrier, out of fuel, chooses to glide over the beach for one final protective pass., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Dunkirk's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Dunkirk against these established plot points, we can identify how Christopher Nolan utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Dunkirk within the action genre.
Christopher Nolan's Structural Approach
Among the 11 Christopher Nolan films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Dunkirk represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Christopher Nolan filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Christopher Nolan analyses, see Oppenheimer, Interstellar and The Prestige.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Tommy and fellow soldiers walk through deserted Dunkirk streets as German leaflets rain down, announcing their encirclement. The eerie quiet establishes the desperate situation of 400,000 trapped Allied soldiers.
Theme
A soldier on the beach speaks what becomes the film's central thematic question when asked about the evacuation: the tension between mere survival and heroic action, between individual preservation and collective sacrifice.
Worldbuilding
The three timelines are introduced: Tommy reaches the beach and meets Gibson (The Mole/1 week); Mr. Dawson, Peter, and George set sail from England (The Sea/1 day); Farrier and Collins take off in their Spitfires (The Air/1 hour). The scope and stakes of the evacuation are established.
Disruption
German Stukas dive-bomb the beach and mole in a terrifying attack, killing soldiers waiting in orderly queues. Tommy barely survives by diving under the pier. The illusion of organized evacuation is shattered—this will be a fight for survival.
Resistance
Tommy and Gibson attempt to jump the queue by carrying a wounded soldier. Commander Bolton and Colonel Winnant debate evacuation logistics on the mole. Dawson's boat is requisitioned. Farrier's squadron engages enemy aircraft. Characters resist committing fully while seeking ways to escape.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Tommy and Gibson board a hospital ship by sneaking aboard as stretcher-bearers—an active choice to abandon the queue system. Dawson refuses to let the Navy take his boat, choosing to sail to Dunkirk himself. Farrier commits to protecting the evacuation despite limited fuel.
Mirror World
Dawson's civilian boat rescues a shell-shocked soldier from a torpedoed ship. This subplot embodies the theme: ordinary citizens choosing heroism while a traumatized soldier represents what survival costs. The sea journey becomes a mirror to the beach—showing duty vs. self-preservation.
Premise
The promise of the premise unfolds across all three timelines: Tommy survives multiple ship sinkings and swims back to shore; Collins is shot down and rescued by Dawson's boat; Farrier continues aerial combat. Each escape attempt fails, each rescue leads to new danger—the relentless cycle of near-death and temporary salvation.
Midpoint
A false defeat: the minesweeper Tommy boards is torpedoed and sinks rapidly, trapping soldiers below deck. The shell-shocked soldier accidentally causes George's fatal head injury on Dawson's boat. The stakes escalate—death is no longer abstract but claiming named characters. Survival seems increasingly impossible.
Opposition
Pressure intensifies on all fronts: Tommy's group finds a beached Dutch trawler but must wait for tide while Germans use it for target practice; Farrier's fuel gauge is damaged and he flies blind; the shell-shocked soldier grows more unstable. Bolton announces Churchill will only evacuate 30,000—leaving most to surrender.
Collapse
The trawler fills with water from bullet holes. Soldiers turn on Gibson, revealing he's French (not even British), and demand he leave to lighten the boat. Gibson is shot and killed when a German plane strafes the vessel. The "whiff of death" is literal—Gibson, who helped Tommy from the beginning, dies while the others' cowardice is exposed.
Crisis
The surviving soldiers swim in oil-covered water as their trawler sinks. Tommy nearly drowns. Farrier glides on empty fuel, his mission seemingly over. Bolton watches the chaos from the mole, accepting that rescue seems impossible. The evacuation appears to have failed.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The armada of little ships appears on the horizon—hundreds of civilian vessels sailing to Dunkirk. Bolton sees them and is moved to tears: "Home." The synthesis of civilian courage with military need creates the possibility of salvation. Farrier, out of fuel, chooses to glide over the beach for one final protective pass.
Synthesis
The little ships rescue soldiers from the water and beach. Dawson pulls Tommy and Alex from the sea. Farrier shoots down a final bomber in a heroic glide, then lands on the beach and burns his Spitfire rather than let it be captured—he walks calmly into German captivity. 338,000 soldiers are evacuated. Tommy and Alex board a train home.
Transformation
Tommy reads Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech aloud from a newspaper as the train carries them home. When Alex says bitterly, "All we did is survive," a blind man handing out blankets responds: "That's enough." Tommy looks out the window—transformed from desperate survivor to returning soldier. Survival itself was the victory.