1917: An Epic WWI Tale

If you were planning to wait for 1917 to be available on Digital Download or DVD, that simply won't do. Like Gravity and Dunkirk, watching 1917 on your phone or on a TV screen won't do it justice, this is a movie that demands to be seen on the big screen.

Schofield (George MacKay) & Dean-Charles Chapman (Blake)

As the fires of World War I rage in the spring of 1917, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake (George MacKay & Dean-Charles Chapman) are tasked to deliver a message. Their destination: a battalion located in deep enemy territory who are walking into a trap. Should they fail in delivering the message in time, the lives of 1,600 British troops will be lost. Time is of the essence, as the two Lance Corporals tread murky waters, muddy ditches, dark tunnels and enemy gunfire in order to deliver the warning.

1917 is an ambitious and grand achievement in terms of story-telling and spectacle. What director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins, (whose previous collaborations include Jarhead and Skyfall) accomplish is put the audience right into the trenches of war.

What really enhances the experience is how the film is shot and edited as if it were one take and happening in real time. A technique that isn't new, as seen with Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman, but never to my knowledge, in a movie this intense. It feels so real that you forget you are watching a movie. The way the camera pans and never cuts away, we are no longer the audience who see what the other characters don't see. We are right there with them, a silent and invisible third character who can only see what the human eye allows. As the camera lingers on our leads, one can see much unfold around them whether leftover carnage, the rats in the caves, the nearby solders whether walking by or crowded in a car.

The score by Thomas Newman is another amplifying factor that adds to the sheer magnitude of the movie. Even in silence, the feeling of tension lingers in the air with danger ready to strike any second.

Colin Firth as General Erinmore

Even with A-list cameos from Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch, newcomers MacKay and Chapman are able to carry the film magnificently. A journey that evolves from hesitation to determination, even with death coming at every direction. A harrowing reminder that even in the most dire and darkest of places, a spark of light can be found in the most unsuspecting places.

Come awards season, I can't think of any other film that deserves recognition in the practical and technical fields. A definite win for Deakins for Best Cinematography and I dare say a chance for Best Director for Mendes and Best Picture.

The moment you see 1917 playing at a theater near you, watch it. You will not regret it.

Final Verdict: A+