Quentin Tarantino considers Christopher Nolan as one of the greatest filmmakers of today’s generation, even praising his work on the 2017 war drama Dunkirk. According to the veteran director, he rewatched the movie and started to appreciate it more, especially the epic shots.
Meanwhile, a bunch of fans countered his argument claiming a scene from the Nolan film as the greatest shot in a war film. For them, Sam Mendes’ 1917 is way better than Dunkirk.
Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Favorite Shot From Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk
During an interview on the Rewatchable podcast, Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino shared his love for Christopher Nolan’s movies, particularly Dunkirk. It is surprising to see how the famed figure admires a great number of war dramas, though he was mostly leaning on the spectacular shots. He said about Dunkirk:
“I had an interesting experience with it the first couple of times. The first time I saw it, I don’t know what I was thinking the first time. I just dealt with the spectacle of it all. I couldn’t deal with anything else but the spectacle of it all. I liked the movie, but the spectacle almost numbed me to the experience.”
Although he did not find the film moving and tear-jerking, he was amazed by how Nolan conducted particular shots, one of which Tarantino considers the greatest shot in any war movie. He referred to the scene where Harry Styles was down on the ground and covering his ears as soldiers ran in chaos and explosions blasted everywhere.
“I don’t think I felt anything emotional. I was awed by it. But I didn’t know what I was awed by… It wasn’t until the third time that I could see past the spectacle and into the people the story is about.”
For Tarantino, Dunkirk immediately moved up from “preliminary seven” to number two in his personal list of his favorite movies. He also commended Nolan’s virtuosity as he managed to go from different genres, such as comic book films, science fiction, and historical war dramas.
Apart from the shot of Harry Styles, the director also mentioned a couple of scenes, such as the ships tilting, as great shots from the movie. Finally, Tarantino claimed that Nolan just kept on making “artistic experience” for the viewers.
Fans Argued Sam Mendes’ Epic One-Shot From 1917 Is Way Better
Quentin Tarantino’s claim on Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk was contested by fans. Many expressed that the iconic one-shot scene from Sam Mendes’ 1917 was more spectacular. Check out their reactions below:
1917 has the greatest shots of any war movie
— Film Colossus (@FilmColossus) January 12, 2024
1917 be there like hold my beer! pic.twitter.com/cVZCNcOONz
— Aphrodite🕊️ (@_tequilatalks) January 12, 2024
Well, he’s wrong.
— Trent South (@TrentESouth) January 12, 2024
Personally I thought Dunkirk was boring and overrated 🤷🏻♀️
— Chrissy’s Pop Culture Corner (@realpopchrissy) January 13, 2024
1917, the final moments, the charge is epic pic.twitter.com/JPEo4rnnaV
— El Facha Faz (@ElFachaFaz) January 12, 2024
When asked if the one-shot scene from 1917 was just a gimmick, Mendes explained that the story needed it for the audience to feel that they were also in the place. He told Variety:
“It felt like the best way to give you a sense of all this happening in real-time. I wanted you to feel like you were there with the characters, breathing their every breath, walking in their footsteps. The best way to do that is not to cut away and give the audience a way out, as it were.”
Interestingly, 1917 was inspired by the stories Mendes’ grandfather used to tell him. This was the reason why the project holds a lot of sentimental value. As for the competition on which epic shot was the best, it is definitely a matter of perspective.
