WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Dunkirk

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This weekend sees the release of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, an intense and harrowing film depicting the miraculous evacuation of thousands of British soldiers from the beaches of France during WWII. Operation Dynamo, as it was officially called, was Winston Churchill's last-ditch effort to save the British Expeditionary Forces from a catastrophic defeat, ensuring England would be left with a large enough fighting force to protect itself from the German army sweeping across Europe.

Dunkirk is filled with fictional characters, but it's based on the true events of that week in the summer of 1940. Beginning on May 26th and ending on June 4th, the plan was to evacuate at least 45,000 troops -- the number thought to be needed to protect England from invasion -- but in the end more than 300,000 soldiers were ferried home across the English Channel. This remarkable feat was only made possible because of the many British and French soldiers who held off the advancing Germans, the air support provided by the Royal Air Force and, most amazingly, the civilian vessels that ventured into a war zone to bring home their soldiers.

It's those three elements -- the events on the beaches of Dunkirk, the civilian fishing ships and ferries crossing the channel, and the RAF pilots battling the German Luftwaffe in the skies above -- that comprise the bulk of the film's running time. However, given that this is a Christopher Nolan film and the director has a penchant for inventive storytelling, Dunkirk's plot is non-linear and the events do not transpire in a strictly chronological order. Instead, Nolan presents his film with three plots across three time frames, each starting at different points in relation to the evacuation's end. It's a disorienting presentation, to be sure, (and especially with a script that has limited dialogue) but it does help reflect the frenetic atmosphere of the Dunkirk evacuation.

Still, even for the most studied film buff, Dunkirk's timelines can be hard to follow. To help make sense of the different time frames covered in Dunkirk and to explain when they begin intersecting, we've outlined (as best we can) the events of the film in a chronological order.

One Week Out

Fionn Whitehead in Dunkirk

Introduced as "The Mole" (the name for the concrete jetties which protect the beach and what the soldiers used in place of a proper dock), Dunkirk's first and largest time frame is concerned with the soldiers stranded on the beach -- specifically, Fion Whitehead's Tommy, Aneurin Barnard's Gibson, and Harry Styles' Alex as well as Kenneth Branagh's Commander Bolton and James D'Arcy's Colonel Winnant.

We are first introduced to Tommy as he and his fellow soldiers wander the abandoned streets of Dunkirk. They are soon set upon by enemy fire, leaving Tommy the only survivor as he manages to reach the beach where thousands of British and French soldiers are awaiting rescue. There, he sees another man burying a fallen soldier. Neither Tommy or Gibson (as identified by his uniform) say a word, but their looks speak volumes -- these men are sick of war and want nothing more than to get off that beach alive. After withstanding a bombardment from the Luftwaffe, they seize their opportunity.

The wounded are being carried on stretchers to a large naval vessel docked at The Mole, and after the bombing leaves one stretcher unmanned, Tommy and Gibson pick it up and start racing towards the ship. They push through hundreds of soldiers -- mostly French, since the British vessels were there to evacuate their troops first, leaving many French soldiers stranded -- and narrowly reach the ship before it departs. Unfortunately, once they've handed over their wounded charge to the medics, they're made to leave the ship as there's not enough room for them as well. Not wanting to return to the beach and miss their chance at leaving, the two climb under the pier to wait and hopefully sneak on to the next ship.

The three main soldiers in Dunkirk

As that ship is departing, however, it's bombed by the Germans and begins sinking. Commander Bolton -- the pier-master for the evacuation -- gives orders for the sinking ship to be pushed away from The Mole out of fear it will damage the rickety wooden pier. Those who are able jump from the ship to save their lives, while most of the wounded are left to drown. Tommy and Gibson move quickly as the sinking ship threatens to smash into the pier, rescuing Alex from being crushed between the ship and the concrete Mole in the process. The three soldiers climb back up and manage to get themselves on another ship leaving that night. Tommy and Alex make their way below deck where they're served tea and some jam bread, while Gibson remains up top. As this ship departs, it's torpedoed. The sea water begins rushing in below deck as the ship capsizes, trapping Tommy and Alex. Gibson manages to free the door and rescue them from drowning. All three then swim back to shore where they await their next opportunity to escape.

As they wait on the beach over the next couple days, they witness a string of depressing events, including a man who commits suicide by calmly walking into the waves. There are also several soldiers who begin rowing themselves out to sea in lifeboats in hopes of finding a boat that will take them across the channel. One of these men is Cillian Murphy's character, a major player in the film's second chapter -- "The Sea".

One Day Out

Mr. Dawson and the Shivering Soldier in Dunkirk

In England, the Navy are commandeering civilian vessels -- what would later be dubbed the "little boats" of Dunkirk -- to help in the evacuation effort, as most of the larger naval vessels cannot traverse the shallow waters and reach the French coastline. Mark Rylance's Mr. Dawson owns one of these boats, but rather than give up "Moonstone" to the Navy, he and his son, Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his young friend, George (Barry Keoghan) decide to sail it over themselves.

On their journey they pass a large ship transporting soldiers from Dunkirk and they see some RAF Spitfires fly by on their way to engage the German bombers, each an indication they're getting closer to the war. They then happen upon a stranded soldier sitting on floating wreckage, the sole survivor of U-boat attack. The man is Cillian Murphy's Shivering Soldier, now experiencing PTSD or shell-shock, and who comes aboard their boat thinking they're heading to England. When he discovers they're going to Dunkirk, he becomes anxious and erratic, and tries taking control of the boat from Mr. Dawson. This leads to a struggle in which George is knocked below deck where he strikes his head. Peter goes down to check on him and after tending to his head wound as best he can, George reveals he's gone blind. Believing that the men at Dunkirk remain their top priority, Mr. Dawson decides to carry on.

Back on the beach, Tommy, Alex, and Gibson have joined with a group of Scottish soldiers making their way towards an abandoned boat grounded during low tide. The hope is to hide within the vessel and as high tide comes in, float out to sea. After making their way inside, they're spooked when the boat's Dutch captain returns, explaining to them the boat is beyond the British perimeter and at risk of attack. It's then the boat comes under fire, but rather than from an attack, German soldiers are using it for target practice. As the tide comes in, water begins rushing in through the bullet holes and it becomes clear that the boat will no longer float. Thinking all they need to do is lose some weight, Alex accuses Gibson of being a German spy because he's barely said a word and insists he be thrown off the boat. Tommy comes to his defense, at which point Gibson reveals that he isn't British or German, but rather a French soldier and he just stole the uniform of the man Tommy saw him burying. The atmosphere inside the slowly slinking boat becomes tense as it continues drifting out to sea.

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Jack Lowden in Dunkirk

One Hour Out

The Spitfires that flew over Mr. Dawson's boat earlier in the day have made their way closer to Dunkirk, and in the film's third chapter, "The Air", we see Tom Hardy's Farrier and Jack Lowden's Collins engage the German bombers attacking the fleeing British vessels. The first Luftwaffe they encounter shoots down their squadron leader, leaving Farrier in command. His fuel gauge is also damaged, putting him at risk of using too much fuel and forcing him to repeatedly radio Collins to check the levels. Their next skirmish with a German bomber is more successful and they shoot it down, but Collins' plane is damaged and he must make an emergency landing in the channel.

As his plane goes down, it's spotted by Mr. Dawson, who decides to change course to rescue the pilot. And it's a good thing he does, because once downed, Collins is unable to open the cockpit's hatch. As the plane fills with water and begins to submerge with Collins trapped inside, the "Moonstone" pulls up and Peter smashes the cockpit open, rescuing Collins. Once he's aboard, they continue towards Dunkirk.

Farrier does as well, switching to reserve fuel and flying over a British Navy vessel under attack. Alongside the larger vessel, is the smaller boat with Tommy, Alex, Gibson and the other soldiers still inside. By now they've taken on too much water and the boat is sinking more quickly. As the soldiers all scramble to escape, Gibson gets tangled up in chains and drowns. Tommy and Alex reach the surface and begin swimming towards the larger ship -- only to see it take a hit from a German bomber. High above them, Farrier engages the Luftwaffe but is unable to save the vessel, continuing his pursuit towards Dunkirk. The "Moonstone" reaches the scene in time to see the Navy vessel bombed, and while dodging fire from enemy fighter planes, Mr. Dawson maneuvers towards the sinking ship where they begin pulling aboard as many survivors as the boat can hold, Tommy and Alex among them. With the sinking ship leaking fuel into the channel, the "Moonstone" must quickly navigate away to avoid catching fire when the oil ignites.

Dunkirk Sinking Ship

As the rescued soldiers begin making their way below deck of the "Moonstone", they discover that George has died from his injuries. And instead of blaming the shell-shocked soldier and saddling him with more grief, Peter lies and tells him that George will be fine. With a full boat, Mr. Dawson turns the "Moonstone" around and heads back to England.

The rest of the little boats, however, are just arriving at Dunkirk, bringing with them a renewed sense of hope. While Boltan and Winnant oversee the evacuation on the ground, Farrier, also having just arrived, provides cover from the air. His plane is now out of fuel, but he's able to glide and continues to make passes above the beach. The heavy bombardment continues until Farrier successfully shoots down the remaining bomber, ensuring that more of the soldiers below can evacuate. Winnant informs Bolton their evacuation efforts have been a success, at which point Bolton says he's not leaving until he's help the French evacuate as well. Farrier manages to land his Spitfire but he's behind enemy lines. He lights his plane on fire and is later captured by German soldiers.

Arriving back home, the soldiers disembark from the "Moonstone" where they're given a heroes welcome, even if most don't feel deserving of it. George's body is carried off the boat and he is later celebrated as a local hero in the paper. Tommy and Alex board a train on which they read a newspaper's reprinting of Winston Churchill's speech following the success of Operation Dynamo, "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

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The non-linear presentation of Dunkirk, while at times confusing, is essential in giving each of the film's three plots the screen time and focus necessary to impart to audiences their role in evacuation. If told in a strictly chronological manner, then Farrier's contribution would have seemed so much less than that of the little boats -- which in actuality, is how it appeared to the men stranded on the beach, many of whom criticized the RAF for not doing enough. Plus, presenting the film in such a chaotic manner, leaving it to audiences to piece together when each story is taking place in relation to one another, intensifies the film's visceral feel. For instance, we see the boat sinking well before we learn it's the boat Tommy, Alex, and Gibson are trapped inside, and we see the "Moonstone" pick up the shivering soldier before we see him leave Dunkirk.

Still, having the film's major events strung together in roughly the order they would have happened chronologically hopefully helps to better understand how Nolan eventually weaved them all together. And perhaps, sheds some light on why he chose to present his story in the manner he did.

Next: Could Dunkirk Finally Win Christopher Nolan an Oscar?

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