1917 was directed by Sam Mendes and stars George MacKay and Dean Charles-Chapman. It also features the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, and Colin Firth.
There’s been a lot of buzz about this movie with all the praise and recent nominations it has received, and let me tell you it deserves it. If you’re a fan of war films or cinema in general, I think you need to try and go see this. The way that this was made to look all like one shot is something truly remarkable. It is a task that only a few films in recent history have done. The one movie that comes to mind is Birdman, which came out in 2014 and stars Michael Keaton and was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
The word I would use to describe 1917 is captivating. You go on a journey with George MacKay (Lance Corporal Schofield) and Dean Charles-Chapman (Lance Corporal Blake) as they race to stop an impending attack of 1,600 members of the British Army in an attempt to turn the tide of the war. You experience the weight of their decisions and the positive and negative aspects that come from them.
The one shot technique assists in building the intensity of the mission as it is paired nicely with the score of the film. The set design work is masterful as it adds to the realistic feel which is seen in the settings of battlefields, bunkers, towns, and particularly the trenches. The characters almost feel trapped and caged by those same trenches that keep them safe. It was a smart move not to immediately show what lay outside of the trenches as it made the viewer guess and wonder what really was out there. Once the protagonists emerge onto the battlefield to attempt to cross enemy lines, a whole new world is discovered. What the viewer sees is a landscape that exemplifies the horrific brutality that war brings, and it was brought to life on screen in the most respectful yet realistic way possible.
The acting by the two main protagonists complement each other well, as they both sell the action and dramatic scenes in a proper manner. Dean Charles-Chapman was previously known for his roles in The King (Thomas) and Game of Thrones (Tommen Baratheon), but I think this was his best work because he has a lot more to do here than in those other two projects. That being said, the stand out for me is George MacKay. I had not seen MacKay in any previous films, but after watching this I think he’s going to get a lot of recognition for his effort here. He's fantastic in his role as Schofield. The combination of his physical and emotional performances throughout the film is what sells it for me.
My one main criticism is that since there are always events happening in the movie, there’s not a lot of downtime to learn too much about the characters. When certain things happen in the film, it sometimes is hard to sympathize or relate to the characters when they go through difficult situations. When you are learning information, it can sometimes be a little hard to piece it together since there are multiple things going on, but the information that was setup pays off nicely.
Sam Mendes knocks this one out of the park with the help of one the best cinematographers in the business in Roger Deakins. Deakins has previously worked on films like: The Shawshank Redemption, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, Sicario, and Blade Runner 2049, just to name a few.
Mendes was previously known for his directing work in Skyfall (2012), which was critically praised for being one of the better James Bond films in the past couple of decades. Mendes has experienced success before, but not to this magnitude yet.
The source material was near and dear to Mendes’ heart and while most of the film is fictional, most of what he tries to do is enhance the information and visuals presented to make it feel like it actually happened. For that I give him and Deakins the utmost credit, because the technical aspects they pulled off made the movie that much better.
This movie is a sure-fire pick to win best picture at the Oscars this year just for the sheer fact that all of these feats of technicality and directing that were mentioned were able to be accomplished. Mendes, Deakins, the cast, and crew should all be very proud, because they've made one hell of a movie that will be talked about for years to come.
Score: 4.6 out of 5
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