Review : 1917 (2019)
I like war films just as much as the next film fan, guaranteed. Vietnam tends to be my war subject of choice, with World War II and some of the unofficial conflicts falling in line directly behind, but films about the Great War were always intriguing. With 2019 being such a strong year of unique films, it’s interesting that one of the heaviest buzzes is coming from a movie centered around World War I, but lo and behold, director Sam Mendes has managed to bring a fresh and unique perspective to that very war in the form of the astounding 1917.
On April 6, 1917, Lance Corporals Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are assigned a time-sensitive mission by General Erinmore (Colin Firth). The German army appears to be retreating from their established lines on the Western Front of Northern France, but aerial intelligence has revealed a new Hindenburg line being formed in the assumed retreat zone. The 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment is in pursuit of the German soldiers, and the Lance Corporals are tasked with tracking down the regiment to stop them before they walk into a massacre. Schofield, already experienced in combat with the Germans, is initially hesitant, but upon learning that Blake’s older brother, Lieutenant Joseph Blake (Richard Madden), is a member of the 2nd Battalion, the younger Blake convinces Schofield to immediately join him on the mission. With the former front line, open space, a shelled out city, a river and a forest between the Lance Corporals and the Devonshire Regiment, the duo race against the clocks in hopes of saving their fellow soldiers from walking into a massacre.
A gigantic portion of the hype surrounding this film comes from the unique experience provided by the way that Sam Mendes chose to shoot, edit and present the film. While not the first to use the style of long takes to emulate a single take, Mendes does manage to use it to bring maximum tension to the war film genre. Much like the experiments of Gus Van Sant with his Death Trilogy, 1917 has the look and feel of a first-person shooter game mixed with an open-world adventure game, with the narrative beats proceeding like a mixture of action sequences and cut scenes as the camera satellites around our main characters. Even though, in my honest opinion, Alejandro González Iñárritu pulled off the trick with more flare and style in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Mendes and his achievements cannot be ignored, and will certainly be recognized during awards season.
On top of this stylistic choice enhancing the war film experience, the nature of the casting hits with extra enhancement. I am unaware of the two main actors in regards to their previous work, and with 90% of the movie centering around these individuals, the ability to suspend disbelief is made much easier. Similarly, name actors are given roles that correspond to characters with high military ranks, so when a recognizable face pops up, we inherently give them unknowing respect and attention simply because of the gravitas that comes with the recognition. To even further drive home the personable experience of war, we only see a single German enemy with any distinct clarity, and the actors come into close contact with only three, but no more than five, soldiers, making the majority of the enemies that of the faceless variety.
The skill, craftsmanship and powerful impact of the cinematography cannot be understated, as it really and truly makes the viewers’ war experience much more dynamic than that from previous films. The score ebbs and flows like wind, coming in strong and then pulling itself back with such subtlety that at times you don’t even recognize the builds. The color-timing on the film is stark and beautiful, with sky full of blues, purples and other dusk/twilight colors, and distinct shifts between greyed-out battlefronts, lush green forestry and the earth-tones of the destroyed cities. The trench design looks genuinely authentic, as if they were the genuine existing articles from over a century ago, and not recreated locations for the film.
George MacKay has the poise and determination of a star in the making, with his seemingly dismissive and unwilling demeanor masking a reserve of iron will. Dean-Charles Strong brings the innocence that comes with luck in a dangerous realm, with his naivety helping drive the duo forward into dangerous situation after dangerous situation. Per the style of the film, the majority of the time is spent with these two relatively unknown actors, with the remainder of the cast being filled in with glorified cameos. Colin Firth is all business, as is Benedict Cumberbatch, but with a harder edge and a sense of hurt when battle is taken from him. Mark Strong represents the more humanitarian side of things, with his convoy of soldiers bringing more humanity and humor to a story full of soldiers from out of (or heading into) combat. Richard Madden brings a powerful sense of realization and weight that comes with life-altering news, with a brief performance that is almost guaranteed to bring tears out of even the most hardened viewer. Memorable appearances by Claire Duburcq, Daniel Mays, Adrian Scarborough, Jamie Parker, Michael Jibson and Nabhaan Rizwan, among others, round out the proceedings.
As much as I enjoy the film, I don’t think it has the power to force me to shift my end of the year list. The film will certainly be recognized during awards season, as I stated before, and I do recognize it for the achievement it is, but in terms of my prefered style and aesthetic, I found other films this year more compelling. It is nice to know, however, that films can employ high style and still connect on a large scale level, and I do highly recommend viewers see this movie, as I do recognize it as must-see cinema. Wait for it to be released retail style if you have to, but if you get the chance, see this film on the big screen, as films like this are tailor-made for large scale presentation.