Behind the scenes of 'Dunkirk': Harry Styles reveals Chris Nolan's one styling tip in exclusive video

One Direction star Harry Styles made his acting debut this year in the critically-acclaimed World War II thriller Dunkirk. Unlike most pop stars who would probably prefer something light and breezy to cut their acting teeth, Styles had landed a role in one of the biggest films of 2017, working with the notoriously meticulous Christopher Nolan.

Nolan’s attention to detail was quickly made clear on the ‘Sign of the Times‘ singer’s first day on set as he reveals in this exclusive new behind-the-scenes video.

“I remember the first day I got dressed and put my uniform on,” explains Styles, “and [Christopher Nolan] checks me over. He looked at me and said ‘your boots are laced wrong’.

“He explained the British did looped rather than criss-crossed. Pretty much from that moment he kinda set the precedent of ‘I know my s***’.”

In a wide-open awards season, one thing you can count on is Christopher Nolan snagging his first Oscar nomination for Best Director. It’s true: Despite helming some of the biggest hits of the past decade, including The Dark Knight and Inception, Nolan has been repeatedly overlooked by the Academy. That changes with Dunkirk, his summertime hit that re-creates the pivotal World War II battle in remarkable detail.

This week Nolan received his second Golden Globe nomination as Best Director for that film and seems the early frontrunner to win when those statuettes are handed out on January 7. To understand why, watch this exclusive clip from a behind-the-scenes featurette included on the upcoming Blu-ray release of Dunkirk, due out on December 18. It’s a rare chance to watch Nolan in action on a film set, and hear firsthand accounts of his meticulous directorial method. (Watch the clip above.)

Although Nolan doesn’t appear on camera as one of the British soldiers fighting for survival on the beaches of Dunkirk, he made a point of marching right alongside them. “Chris will never ask anyone to do anything without having done it himself,” remarks Dunkirk’s cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema, himself an Oscar favorite. “That kind of hands-on approach is very motivating for everybody.”

What more could you want in a Best Director nominee?

Dunkirk arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, Limited Edition Blu-ray Filmbook, 2 Disc DVD on December 18.

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