Classic war movie epics

Dunkirk In cinemas from Friday

IT features stunning action set pieces, a star-studded cast and, of course, an enormous budget.

The forthcoming blockbuster Dunkirk, from Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan, is a throwback to the heyday of epic war films.

Movies such as The Longest Day, Battle Of The Bulge and A Bridge Too Far quickly became much-loved classics.

They may have fallen out of fashion, but the hotly-anticipated Dunkirk is set to bring back the epic war movie.

It tells the story of the evacuation of British troops from the beaches of Northern France in 1940 after they were trapped by German forces.

Nolan’s take on the desperate story of British survival boasts big names such as Tom Hardy, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance and former One Direction star, Harry Styles.

Instead of fancy CGI effects which he used to jaw-dropping effect in Interstellar and Inception, Nolan has chosen to rely on real-life props.

In addition to 1500 extras, he used cardboard cut-outs of soldiers rather than computer wizardry to create the illusion of a large army massed on the beach.

After several box office smash hits, it seems the movie studio were happy to fund Nolan’s desire for an authentic Second World War experience.

Like classic war movies from the ’60s and ’70s, Dunkirk will be told from multiple perspectives.

Alex, played by Harry Styles, is a beleaguered infantryman under siege from German forces.

Cillian Murphy, star of Peaky Blinders, is a soldier desperate to escape the beaches of France.

Bridge Of Spies star Mark Rylance has the role of an intrepid seaman who takes his small fishing boat on the perilous trip across the Channel.

Sir Kenneth Branagh plays a Royal Navy commander and The Revenant star, Tom Hardy, is a daring Spitfire ace.

And it’s Hardy’s aerial sequences which Nolan is most proud of.

“I think every kid – or certainly British kids – would love to be able to fly a Spitfire,” he explained. “That was just an extraordinary experience.

“And then to give the audience that same experience, we had to find a way to get giant cameras into these tiny vintage planes.

“To really be in the experience of a dogfight in a Spitfire above Dunkirk – that was remarkable.

“It’s an experience I will remember for my whole life.”