1917 (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Sam Mendes' outstanding, epic WWI movie, '1917', is based - in part - on his own grandfather's experience as a runner in said war. Though this film, written by Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns, is mostly fictional, the detailed stories told to him by his grandpa inspired this great tale of self-sacrifice, courage & bravery. Filmed in one long tracking shot that makes us feel like we're right in the thick of things, action begins right away. On April 6th, 1917, when all telephone lines have been cut on the Hindenberg Line in northern France, young British private, Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman, Tommen from Game of Thrones) is hastily summoned to the lamp-lit bunker of General Erinmore (Colin Firth).
Along with his friend, stoic Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay), Blake is tasked with a very urgent & dangerous mission to deliver a message to Col. MacKenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) to stop his attack at 6am the very next day. It is a trap set by the Germans {who were believed to have retreated} and, if these two fail to deliver this message, 1,600+ British troops, including Blake's older brother (Richard Madden), will be slaughtered by the Germans during Operation Alberich. To that, in a race-against-time, our two runner heroes must, themselves, survive unexpected obstacles on their arduous, booby trap-laden journey through No Man's Land & behind enemy lines. Much tension, suspense & chaos ensues.
What. a. movie. To achieve the aforementioned 'one long tracking shot' element, Sam Mendes, iconic cinematographer Roger Deakins, & the tech crew spent months preparing, rehearsing & filming sequences so that all would be timed to perfection. It is a truly extraordinary feat, especially for a war movie filmed in trenches & battle-scarred countryside. It's an engrossing & immersive experience filled with Deakins' typically vibrant visuals that will be burned into memory. i.e., a scintillating nighttime hellscape featuring bright flares, a bombed-out village & terror lurking in the ever-changing shadows -- I was in awe. I must also commend editor Lee Smith, the sound team, the production designers {amazing war milieu}, the make-up crew {authentic war wounds, corpses} & 14-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman who lends a terrific score; brilliantly enhancing the ominous nature of the proceedings.
Sam Mendes chose two actors in Chapman & MacKay who are perfectly suited for these roles. Though they have differing personalities, they're young, earnest & well-suited to carry out this dire mission. Chapman plays the naive, but chipper, determined Blake with real fervor, while MacKay's deer-in-headlights Schofield must right himself as the night goes on; proving to be unwavering & driven. The film is littered with smaller performances & cameos that make an impact {Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, and a moving portrayal from Claire Duburcq as a terrified woman with a young baby who needs milk}, but the film really rests on the shoulders of those two young actors – they are superb.
'1917' is an intimate, thoughtful & beautiful ode to brave men who do all they can to save others in futile wars. Dread is punctuated by acts of senseless horror; like watching someone slowly bleed-out in an awfully nondescript way. If I'm to nitpick, I'd say that, because it's a fictional tale set within a real event in history, some of the happenstance felt hard to believe. Also, while there is much poignancy & themes of resolve in the face of adversity, some audiences might view this as a simpler 'get from point A to point B' type of experience. But for me, while the storytelling approach seems deceptively simplistic, there is surprising emotional power to it all. The 1st-person viewpoint makes this cinematic adventure a compelling & absorbing one.
Along with his friend, stoic Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay), Blake is tasked with a very urgent & dangerous mission to deliver a message to Col. MacKenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) to stop his attack at 6am the very next day. It is a trap set by the Germans {who were believed to have retreated} and, if these two fail to deliver this message, 1,600+ British troops, including Blake's older brother (Richard Madden), will be slaughtered by the Germans during Operation Alberich. To that, in a race-against-time, our two runner heroes must, themselves, survive unexpected obstacles on their arduous, booby trap-laden journey through No Man's Land & behind enemy lines. Much tension, suspense & chaos ensues.
What. a. movie. To achieve the aforementioned 'one long tracking shot' element, Sam Mendes, iconic cinematographer Roger Deakins, & the tech crew spent months preparing, rehearsing & filming sequences so that all would be timed to perfection. It is a truly extraordinary feat, especially for a war movie filmed in trenches & battle-scarred countryside. It's an engrossing & immersive experience filled with Deakins' typically vibrant visuals that will be burned into memory. i.e., a scintillating nighttime hellscape featuring bright flares, a bombed-out village & terror lurking in the ever-changing shadows -- I was in awe. I must also commend editor Lee Smith, the sound team, the production designers {amazing war milieu}, the make-up crew {authentic war wounds, corpses} & 14-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman who lends a terrific score; brilliantly enhancing the ominous nature of the proceedings.
Sam Mendes chose two actors in Chapman & MacKay who are perfectly suited for these roles. Though they have differing personalities, they're young, earnest & well-suited to carry out this dire mission. Chapman plays the naive, but chipper, determined Blake with real fervor, while MacKay's deer-in-headlights Schofield must right himself as the night goes on; proving to be unwavering & driven. The film is littered with smaller performances & cameos that make an impact {Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, and a moving portrayal from Claire Duburcq as a terrified woman with a young baby who needs milk}, but the film really rests on the shoulders of those two young actors – they are superb.
'1917' is an intimate, thoughtful & beautiful ode to brave men who do all they can to save others in futile wars. Dread is punctuated by acts of senseless horror; like watching someone slowly bleed-out in an awfully nondescript way. If I'm to nitpick, I'd say that, because it's a fictional tale set within a real event in history, some of the happenstance felt hard to believe. Also, while there is much poignancy & themes of resolve in the face of adversity, some audiences might view this as a simpler 'get from point A to point B' type of experience. But for me, while the storytelling approach seems deceptively simplistic, there is surprising emotional power to it all. The 1st-person viewpoint makes this cinematic adventure a compelling & absorbing one.