1917 is the most recent film by Sam Mendes, loosely based on stories passed down from his grandfather about his experiences in World War 1. The film, which is edited to play as if it is (mostly) one single, unbroken shot, follows two British soldiers (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) on the western front tasked with delivering an urgent message to another friendly battalion before an impending surprise attack by the Germans.
Above everything else, 1917 is a gorgeous and monumental achievement in cinematography. Not only does it effectively create the illusion of one unbroken chunk of time, but it does so without sacrificing any of Roger Deakins’ beautiful photography. Watching the film, I felt as if I could freeze any frame of the film and be perfectly fine hanging it on my wall. One particular scene displays a bombed out French town which shifts in shadow as illuminated from above by passing flares. I think that image is going to stick with my for quite some time.
With all of the praise for cinematography, it’s not to say that other aspects of the film were anything less than great. While acting isn’t quite the focus of the film, I feel that it was well more than serviceable for what was needed. Despite the principle cast not being recognizable names to most, they were still able to deliver the emotional payload when asked. In particular I thought MacKay excellently portrayed a young man gradually becoming more and more disturbed by the horrors of the war. By the end of the film you can see the shell-shock on his face and in his posture.
Upon reflection, 1917 reminds me a lot of David Ayer’s 2014 WW2 tank drama Fury not just because of the setting but also in its themes and structure. Both films highlight their respective war’s effects on the men who fight them, specifically young soldiers. They also each are generally very tense and action-packed with a middle act that slows down for an emotional side story that slows down the pace a bit. As much as I really enjoyed Fury at the time (although I have not revisited it), I believe 1917 delivers a much more efficient, concentrated, and technically dazzling end result.
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