Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall) has achieved a tremendous feat. With his latest work ‘1917,’ he has created one of the best war films since ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ The story is shot as if it were one continuous take. The effect immerses the audience into a visceral experience. As the soldiers run through trenches and muddy fields, it perfectly captures the horrors of trench warfare during World War I. The cinematography is provided by Roger Deakins – one of the best in the business. You can call the filmmaking technique gimmicky but it is hugely effective. ‘1917’ is one of the most stirring films this award season.
The film wastes no time introducing the two leads, Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay). They are young soldiers but Schofield has already seen some combat. They are assigned a dangerous mission. They must cross enemy lines to deliver an urgent message to call off an attack on the Germans who are planning an ambush against British troops. The fate of 1,600 men depends on these two young soldiers. It’s a race against the clock. By casting two newcomers, you get the sense of how young the front-line troops were and how many of them would never grow old. It’s emotionally powerful as they clench photos of their loved ones and march into enemy lines.
As the two soldiers move forward, you move forward with them. Before they leave the trenches, a cynical lieutenant (Andrew Scott) thinks their suicide mission is crazy. He sprinkles whiskey on them like holy water. He tells them if it gets dark, follow the stench. As they traverse mud and bomb craters, the landscape is post-apocalyptic. They step over dead bodies gnawed by rats. As they press on, we learn that Schofield has won a medal for fighting at the Somme. He traded it for a bottle of French wine because he was thirsty. Blake is less experienced in battle but completing the mission is personal since his brother is a lieutenant in the 2nd battalion. MacKay as Schofield delivers an impressive performance. He shows us how ordinary people do extraordinary things during war.
The visuals are stunning thanks to the dazzling work of Roger Deakins. At one point, they are making their way through the hell of No-Man’s Land in broad daylight. Later in the film, a war-torn French village is only illuminated by a raging fire in the distance. The musical score by Thomas Newman elevates the intensity. This film delivers the goods expected in a war movie. The two young men go through hell. They endure booby traps, a crashing plane and a shocking setback. It really shows how World War I was fought by the infantry. There is a sense of desperation that the audience also experiences. Peppered throughout the film are solid cameos by Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong. All fine performances but the film belongs to the two newcomers George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman.
The film ‘1917’ is a technical marvel. Not everyone may agree on using one long take to tell a story but for a war movie, it is extremely compelling. Mendes grabs your attention and never lets go. We’re there with the two young soldiers. You can feel their misery. You walk through the muck with them. It’s immersive cinema. ‘1917’ is an intense movie experience that reminds us of the sacrifices young men make during the calamity of war.
