1917 (Review)
1917 is an Absolute Triumph!
January isn’t the best month for new movies. However, there is one good thing and that’s that a lot of last-minute Oscar contenders start getting wider releases. One of the films I was seriously looking forward to was 1917. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding this World War I epic, especially since it won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. Now, I try to clear my mind of expectations and hype when I got to see a film, but I can confirm that 1917 deserves all the praise it’s gotten and then some. It is an undeniable masterpiece and one of the best war movies I have ever seen. Director Same Mendes has created a thing of beauty and it blew me away. If there is one movie you see in theaters this month, this is it.
There’s an old saying that “war is hell” and 1917 stops at nothing to prove just that. The film starts out innocently enough as two British soldiers (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) are given orders to carry a message to a Colonel to stop an attack that will walk his men right into an ambush. It certainly doesn’t sound like a very difficult mission, but1917 soon proves that there’s no such thing in war. The two set off on foot to get the message to the men before dawn and things manage to keep going from bad to worse. I don’t want to spoil the hardships they go through for you, but the movie is nothing if not creative when it comes to the challenges that come their way. By the end, the simple act of delivering a message becomes a journey filled with danger and valor. After seeing 1917 I can certainly agree with the old adage, “don’t kill the messenger” because you have no idea what hell they might have walked through in order to deliver it.
There are a lot of wonderful things to talk about when it comes to 1917. I’m going to start with the most noticeable achievement in the film, the cinematography. The movie is done in a simulated single shot with no perceivable cuts. Considering the distance that the two soldiers have to cross along with the astonishing events they experience, including, but not limited to, gunfights, chase sequences, and explosions, it’s mind-blowing to imagine the work that must have gone into it. Of course, there are some cuts in 1917, but the moments in which the film can successfully pull them off are few and far between. This makes the achievement no less impressive, particularly because even with cinematographer Roger Deakins trailing and sometimes leading the men through their journey, he manages to capture some absolutely beautiful shots. For this to happen though, 1917 has to run like a well-oiled machine without seeming too staged, which it does perfectly.
1917 is essentially a two-man show as it follows Chapman and MacKay. There are long moments with the two innocently chatting as they trudge on between action sequences. These are where the film could potentially fall apart, but the two never falter. Not only do they perform their parts beautifully, but their chemistry is palpable as they embody the comradery that only soldiers can know. Either one of them would die for the other, and while there’s a bit of conflict as MacKay resents being dragged into this suicide mission by Chapman, he manages to keep the stereotypical British “stiff upper lip” as they cross the French countryside. It’s not just them the whole time, and they encounter plenty of recognizable British actors along the way in various roles (including, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch). These cameos are definitely rewarding, but never overshadow the fact that this is specifically a story about these two soldiers and they are never overshadowed.
As much as we all tend to love war movies, it’s important to remember that there is nothing “fun” about it. 1917 is thrilling because the two leads aren’t super-soldiers or one-man armies. They’re just men and the reality is that at any moment a bullet that they never see coming could end their journey. Their mission has a definite time table they must meet, but rushing will only get them killed and they have to take it slow at times. One wrong step could kill them and consequently the hundreds of men they’re trying to save with their message. Not only do they have to worry about running into enemy soldiers, but there are plenty of other perils that they encounter along the way from diseased vermin to physical obstacles blocking the path. Mendes also takes care to reflect the horror of war by littering the path with death and decay. There are times when the two have to actually crawl over dead bodies to safety and it is gut-wrenching to watch. None of this is gratuitous at any point and it all serves the purpose of reminding us exactly what war is.
1917 is a taut action-packed thriller. Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay are absolutely brilliant, giving two of the best performances of 2019. Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns pen an absolutely astonishing story filled with emotion, danger, and triumph. As incredible as it is, it still remains firmly rooted in reality. It’s a tale of survival and determination as the two characters are given plenty of opportunities to just give up. With all that is resting on their shoulders, they refuse to lay down and die until the job is done. 1917 is a spectacle in every possible way. I saw it in Dolby and I wholeheartedly suggest you do the same. The visual aspects, beautiful yet ominous soundtrack, along with the astounding sound effects demand to be experienced in such a way that you will feel it shake you to your very core. This is, quite simply, one of the best movies of 2019.
