i found a cogent and erudite review of dunkirk that connects it with memento!
https://cinema-scope.com/cinema-scop...special-event/
seems i was not hallucinating after all. the author finds also something missing in the end--he's disappointed by the british patriotism being the closer, i'm just missing the larger shape of it i guess, rather than the concept. we all want different things so that's to be expected.