10 Best Movie Performances From Nameless Characters

Many had been hoping and waiting for Christopher Nolan to make a war film, and when Dunkirk hit the big screen back in 2017, it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Albeit missing a distinct, central character in non-typical Nolan fashion, the film excels in focusing on multiple and their respective storylines showcasing the simultaneous struggles they endured from the beaches, in the air, and on the water. Nolan thoroughly encapsulates the mass hysteria and sheer horror the Allied forces faced in 1940 as their rescue hung in the balance for days as German troops continued to advance on their position.

Dunkirk boasts a talented assortment of fresh faces and Hollywood newbies, however, it’s an all too familiar name that steals the show this time around, and not for the first time.

Known simply as ‘Shivering Soldier’, Cillian Murphy turns in an evocative and poignant portrayal of a British soldier consumed by shell shock when rescued by Mark Rylance’s civilian sailor after his ship is sunk by a German U-boat. Undeniably one of the industry’s greatest actors working today, the Irishman conveys the terrifying reality of shell shock accurately and convincingly as his desperation to avoid returning to where he has fought so hard to escape from leads to a devastating tragedy aboard the boat.

There’s a reason Cillian Murphy has been Christopher Nolan’s go-to guy for 20 years now, and don’t be surprised to see both men claim Oscar gold next year for the latter’s latest directorial masterpiece, Oppenheimer.