Review: 1917 (2019).

1917 (2019). Directed by Sam Mendes. Screenplay by Sam Mendes and Kyrsty Wilson-Cairns.

[George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Richard Madden.]

I cannot recommend this film enough.

There is so much I want to touch on that I feel it would be best to summarize the casting briefly; simply wonderful. A clever choice of cameo’s that help stress fleeting-comradery.

Our main characters pair well, complementing one another and providing the perfect contradiction of the different reactions, impulses etc. that soldiers experienced during wartime.

Some of the best decisions made in the action/war genre in a long time.

It is so evident that attention to detail was both meticulous and helped create added dimension to an already well thought out concept.

Starting with the decision to film in long takes; choreographing extensive moving camera shots which also give the film the effect of two long takes.

You can pick up moments where scenes flow into one another without pause. I think DOP Roger Deakins made a wise choice with this stylistic approach (one of the shots is literally 13 mins long).

The lighting in 1917 pairs perfectly with the cinematography; adding visuals that are within themselves highly emotive. The colour grading is both jarring and provides a stark contrast to the movie's overall ‘dark’ theme. There are such distinct visual parallels playing on the idea of dark vs light!!

And! The! Score! Sometimes barely there, only the faintest humming / ringing which feels both ominous and befitting. The score complements each action sequence, aids in stressing the absolute desperation and the hopelessness the characters are experiencing.

As for the story itself; this is the war story I have been waiting for!! Mendes has provided a version of war (one that often gets lost within trying to stay true to historical accuracies) that denounces glamorization, heroism, glorification, and chooses rather to expose the raw fear, panic and desensitization these soldiers were suddenly faced with.

We are lured in from the moment our two main characters gain a sense of responsibility- senseless bravery as they set out on a task so large, it feels hopeless within an instance.

I greatly appreciated moments where our main character, and us the viewers, are given moments to marvel at the simplicity and beauty of the landscape, only before being harshly reminded of the ongoing turmoil yet to fully unfold.

More than that, the subtle but jarring focus on the fellow soldiers, most of which are so young and unaware of what they have gotten themselves into. It is frightening at times to comprehend that this was a reality and it feels almost impossible to ignore.

But perhaps my favourite moment in 1917 is the ending scene. A chance to come full circle, so many emotions unresolved and perhaps most will remain that way going forward.

Sam Mendes ensures that there is an overall understanding of the price paid for the temporary glory war offered- the loss that cannot begin to be repaired. And of course I won’t spoil the ending, though it leaves you feeling perhaps emptier than when you began. I love when a film can do that.

IMDB

Letterboxd