This article focuses on the original score composed by Hans Zimmer and the overall sound design in Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk, analysing how it breaks with the narrative conventions of traditional war films. It argues that the film, through the use of Shepard Tones, minimalist repetitive motives, the fusion of electronic and ambient sounds, and a non-linear narrative structure comprising three distinct temporal threads, constructs a continuous sense of temporal pressure which in turn drives the narrative rhythm and shapes the audience’s perceptual experience. The article explores how sound not only serves the image but becomes a central force within the narrative structure. The study demonstrates that sound in Dunkirk goes beyond atmospheric function, and through the creation of an ‘aural perspective’, reshapes the audience’s perception of war, time, and emotion. In doing so, it establishes sound as a primary vehicle for narrative progression and emotional engagement, highlighting the narrative potential of sound design in contemporary cinema.

Jing Ning. The Sound of the Pressure Time: An Analysis of the Music and Sound Design in the Movie Dunkirk. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2025), Vol. 8, Issue 10: 52-57. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2025.081009.

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