One Direction’s Harry Styles Says Filming ‘Dunkirk’ Was A ‘Sobering’ Insight On War
One Direction star Harry Styles has made the huge career leap from teen pop idol to serious movie star. As a member of One Direction, Styles is certainly used to life in the spotlight, but making the move to the silver screen is a huge leap for the 23-year-old. With One Direction currently enjoying a lengthy hiatus, Styles has been far from idle. Harry spent most of last year filming his starring role in Christopher Nolan’s remake of the World War II epic. If that wasn’t enough to keep Styles busy, he also released his eponymous debut album in May 2017.
It must be said that pop stars don’t always make successful actors, but early reviews of Dunkirk suggest that Nolan’s casting of Styles, in a lead role, was a stroke of genius by the filmmaker. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Nolan praises Styles, saying that he “earned the role,” and that he is “talented and charismatic.”
“In movie terms Harry is unknown, but he just earned the part.
“We looked at literally thousands of people, and [Styles] spent days and days doing workshop auditions. It was great to work with someone so talented and with such charisma. What Harry does in the film I hope people will appreciate. What he does is very difficult. It’s not theatrical. It’s truthful to the spirit of the story.”
If the critics are to be believed, Nolan’s casting of Styles in a leading role is a triumph. Entertainment Weekly reports that the critics say that Dunkirk is “thrilling,” and that Styles “delivers a powerful performance.”
Harry Styles Tells The BBC That Filming ‘Dunkirk’ Was a Sobering Experience
Earlier today, Styles and his Dunkirk co-star Fionn Whitehead were interviewed on the BBC’s early morning magazine news program. Styles told interviewer Charlie Stayt that he had learned about the Dunkirk evacuation at school, but nothing had prepared him for the sheer scale of the operation.
FOR HARRY STYLES FANS! Don't miss @Harry_Styles & Fionn Whitehead talking to Charlie tomorrow morning about filming WWII drama @dunkirkmovie pic.twitter.com/cUhVAKnv0a
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 14, 2017
Styles said that the filming of the World War II epic had brought the real story to life and that it had given him a “sobering insight” into what those involved had gone through in real life.
Dunkirk is something of a departure from Christopher Nolan’s usual movie style. The story of the Dunkirk evacuation is told through the eyes of three participants. Styles plays a soldier, who is trapped on the beach, awaiting evacuation. According to Business Insider, Harry delivers a “riveting performance,” and he gets “a large part of the lines that are spoken” in a movie with very limited dialogue.
The critics seem to be united in their praise for Dunkirk, and for Harry Styles in his major acting debut.
[Featured Image by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP]
