euripides’ Orestes (from an oresteia trans. Ann Carson) x
Who Outranks Who In ‘Dunkirk’
Obviously this is the most pressing question you have about Dunkirk (2017) and I am here 2 help, like Mark Rylance (civilian) steering over the Channel in a cozy sweater.
**Note: Actors’ names or physical descriptions will be used exclusively, as by this point Chris Nolan, bless him, has so thoroughly turned his attention away from writing “characters” that most of them aren’t even named onscreen. Sometimes, not even in the script! (Honestly I’m fascinating by just, [gestures] this dude’s whooole deal, so more to come later in an actualpants write-up)
Anyway, TO THE RANKS:
Colonel James D’Arcy
British Army Colonel, O-6
Highest ranking person up in this beach. Did you know he outranked Branagh? YUP. They’re close though, and in different branches, so I think basically are like..military coworkers. Fictional Rank Analogue: the final stage of Colonel T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
Commander Kenneth Branagh
Royal Navy Commander, O-5
Despite looking fancier in his handsome coat (the Navy wins on apparel always), Branagh’s actually a step below D'Arcy. To be on level he’d have to be a Captain of the Royal Navy, which means he’d have to have command of a ship, which in this situation is a pretty dicey prospect so this may be for the best. Fictional Rank Analogue: Commander James Bond (pre-MI6)
RAF Pilot Tom Hardy
Royal Air Force Lieutenant, O-3
Okay this is actually a guess, but here’s my reasoning: we know he’s not the Squadron Leader because that guy is shot down early on, so Hardy has to be below O-4. And we know he’s above the Scottish pilot because it’s Hardy who takes command after that happens. And, if he’s O-3 then I can do this: Fictional Rank Analogue: Captain Yossarian, Catch-22
RAF Pilot Blonde Scotsman
Royal Air Force Pilot Officer, O-1
Hat tip to Wikipedia on this one, which evidently confirmed this in a magazine article. This is the first stop in the RAF officer ranks, an Ensign or a Lieutenant elsewhere than the air. Fictional Rank Analogue: going niche but Tom Hiddleston’s character in The Deep Blue Sea
Cillian Murphy
British Army, E-?
Who knows man, Nolan literally just called him the Shivering Soldier in the script (I know). But I’m guessing he’s above Private since he seemed to have taken charge of that life boat? Conceivable that he’d gotten a field commission to Corporal or something over in France, but like, certainly no higher than Sergeant.
Harry and the Styles
British & Other Army Privates, E-1
Our tiny enlisted men. Barely outrank the sand they stand on, and nearly as indistinguishable as the grains of same.