Lifeboats (Symbols)
Several times in the film we see soldiers returning to the beaches of Dunkirk in lifeboats. The lifeboats come to symbolize the hopelessness of the entire operation, as they signify that soldiers who were once happily on their way back to England have had to abandon sinking destroyers and return to square one. Lifeboats therefore become, ironically, symbols of hopelessness and setbacks rather than symbols of safety.
Tea and Toast (Symbol)
When Tommy, Alex, and Gibson make it on to the destroyer to get back to England, the soldiers are eating toast with jam and drinking tea below deck. These traditional English food items are symbols of returning home, representing the fact that they will soon return to a warm bed in their home country.
The Mole (Symbol)
Captain Bolton stands on the end of the mole throughout the film, even after it has been bombed several times and is in disrepair. The mole comes to represent the fortitude of the British troops, the determination to stay strong and fortify the soldiers, even when things look particularly bleak. By the end of the film, the mole has fallen apart in some places, but it is still standing, a symbol of human ingenuity in the face of adversity.
Dunkirk itself (Allegory)
The beaches of Dunkirk, and the evacuation itself, are a larger allegory for human fortitude, large group efforts, and beating the odds. While evacuation of the beach seems impossible from the start, with Bolton and Winnant discussing the fact that only around 30-40 thousand will be able to make it home, it turns out that many more soldiers are able to return to England, with the help of civilian boats. More than 300,000 soldiers end of making it back, and the evacuation comes to represent the ways that, in times of major crisis, people can prevail and exceed expectations.
Hans Zimmer's Score (Motif)
Throughout the film, the tense action is underscored by the suspenseful score, written by film composer veteran Hans Zimmer. Tremulous and dissonant strings signify that times are hard, conditions bleak, and suspense high. The music perfectly underscores the tensions of the plot, and for his work, Zimmer was nominated for an Academy Award as well as a Grammy.
