2019 | Dir. Sam Mendes | 119 Minutes
"I hoped today would be a good day. Hope is a dangerous thing."
A pair of British soldiers serving in First World War embark on a perilous journey, racing against the clock and braving through enemy territory to prevent 1,600 men from falling into a trap set by German forces.
Director Sam Mendes and living legend cinematographer Roger Deakins deliver a breathtaking, fully immersive, and extraordinarily suspenseful masterpiece. Crafted to resemble extended uninterrupted takes filmed almost exclusively in natural light, 1917 is an astonishing technical achievement even before taking into consideration the logistical hurdles that go into making an action-packed war film. Seamlessly blending epic crane shots, exciting tracking shots, intimate handheld shots, and everything in between, the mind-blowing filmmaking on display produces an immersive experience with an unshakable urgent momentum. Despite the lingering sense of dread, the picture is expertly paced with ample breathing room between pulse-pounding action sequences to take in the breathtaking cinematography, to process the terror of war as experienced by its young heroes, and even to sit in on a heartrending diegetic rendition of a folk song.
The picture would not be as engaging as it is without a captivating narrative at its heart. The friendship between the two young men and their varying motivations is depicted with real authenticity, portrayed realistically as courageous but always vulnerable. The unyielding linear nature of the film doesn't allow for elaborate backstories, but the lead characters are skillfully written to be defined through the amusing anecdotes they share and, more importantly, through their actions. Traversing through booby trapped trench, abandoned farm, burning city, and the hell of no man's land, the young men are shown to be driven to complete their mission at any cost not simply by their commander's orders, but primarily by their loyalty to each other.
George MacKay plays Lance Corporal Will Schofield with a look in his eyes that suggests deep-seated suffering, giving much more soul to the role than what the relatively sparse writing would suggest. Dean-Charles Chapman conveys an almost innocent optimism as Lance Corporal Tom Blake despite the dire stakes of the quest at hand, leveraging his youth to heartbreaking effect. The film also features fleeting but noteworthy appearances by Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, Claire Duburcq, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Madden.
1917 is a true work of cinematic art. The illusion of maintaining impossibly long unedited takes could have been nothing more than a distracting extravagant gimmick in the hands of less capable storytellers. Thankfully the epic narrative driving the picture is remarkably personal and absolutely engrossing for the entire feature length journey.
FRAGMENTS
- It took a while for me to realize that I recognized Dean-Charles Chapman from his role as Tommen Baratheon on Game of Thrones
- Conversely, I immediately recognized Richard Madden who had played Robb Stark
007 CONNECTIONS
- Andrew Scott (C in Spectre)
MCU CONNECTIONS
- Benedict Cumberbatch (Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
- Richard Madden (Ikaris in Eternals)
