As we previously reported, Dunkirk's rating of PG-13 has left quite a number of people miffed about the film's supposed lack of violence and gore.
Saving Private Ryan, arguably one of the defining films on World War II, had an R rating and it's often common for World War II-era films to have a similar rating. However, Dunkirk's PG-13 rating was believed by some to be lessening the impact of what happened and so on.
In an interview with AP, Nolan explained his reasons for the rating and why people really don't need to worry about it. "All of my big blockbuster films have been PG-13. It’s a rating I feel comfortable working with totally. ‘Dunkirk’ is not a war film. It’s a survival story and first and foremost a suspense film."
"So while there is a high level of intensity to it, it does not necessarily concern itself with the bloody aspects of combat, which have been so well done in so many films. We were really trying to take a different approach and achieve intensity in a different way. I would really like lots of different types of people to get something out of the experience."
To be honest, nobody would look at The Dark Knight and say that it's a lesser experience because there's blood or gore in it. It's all about working smartly within the confines, something that Nolan has more than enough experience with.
Dunkirk hits Irish cinemas on July 21st.
Via AP / ABC
