1917 (2019) Universal/Drama RT: 119 minutes Rated R (violence, some disturbing images, language) Director: Sam Mendes Screenplay: Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns Music: Thomas Newman Cinematography: Roger Deakins Release date: January 10, 2020 (US, wide) Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Daniel Mays, Adrian Scarborough, Jamie Parker, Michael Jibson, Richard McCabe. Box Office: $159.2M (US)/$384.6M (World)
Rating: ****
It seems like every war from the last 100 years or so has its defining film, one that puts you right in the trenches and battlefields with the soldiers as they fight for freedom and democracy. The Vietnam War has Platoon, WWII has Saving Private Ryan and now WWI has 1917, a harrowing cinematic experience not easily shaken off. It tells a compelling story, but what people will be talking about is the presentation. It’s shot in one long unbroken take. I know it’s been done before. It’s an idea that goes all the way back to the opening sequence of Orson Welles’ 1958 film noir Touch of Evil. More recently, the highly overrated Birdman did it. But whereas it felt showy in the 2014 Best Picture winner, it makes 1917, which takes place in real time, all the more visceral and nerve-racking.
Two young British soldiers, Schofield (MacKay, Captain Fantastic) and Blake (Chapman, Blinded by the Light), stationed in Northern France are given a mission of the utmost importance. They’re ordered to cross enemy territory to hand-deliver a message to the commander of another regiment telling him to call off a planned attack on German forces. It turns out their retreat behind the Hindenburg Line is a ruse to lure British forces into an ambush. If they don’t reach their destination in time to stop the attack, 1600 men could lose their lives. One of the soldiers-at-risk is Blake’s brother so there’s a personal stake in this mission.
After helming the last two James Bond flicks, Sam Mendes brings his artistic mastery to 1917, an outstanding film that earns a spot right alongside classic WWI dramas like All Quiet on the Western Front and Paths of Glory. I can’t say enough good things about his visual style, an amazing feat he accomplishes with the valuable assistance of Roger Deakins (Fargo, No Country for Old Men), unquestionably one of the finest cinematographers of our time. The whole one-take thing keeps the viewer not just interested but also involved. I felt like I was right there with Schofield and Blake trudging through crowded trenches and muddy battlefields littered with the fresh corpses of soldiers and fly-covered horses. Scene after scene is fraught with danger and anxiety like their brief stop in an abandoned, rat-infested bunker. The editing by Lee Smith is seamless; there’s only one scene where it’s obvious a cut is being made. Mendes also makes excellent use of sound. All of these technical aspects work in conjunction to make 1917 a tense two hours in Hell.
Although we don’t learn much about the backgrounds of the protagonists until late in the game, we nevertheless become emotionally invested in MacKay and Chapman’s characters because they’re young and willing to lay down their lives to save others. As actors, they bring gravitas to their roles. In a larger sense, 1917 is a salute to bravery in service. Mendes’ screenplay, which he co-wrote Krysty Wilson-Cairns, is inspired by his grandfather’s experiences in WWI (the movie is dedicated to him). 1917 also marks a Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy reunion of sorts with Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch appearing in small supporting roles. There’s also a powerful scene with a young French woman (Duburcq) and a presumably orphaned baby. In this scene and a few others, the humanity of the two main characters shines through.
What’s interesting is that you don’t feel the movie’s two-hour running time. I mention this as a counterpoint to the eternity in Purgatory that is A Hidden Life. Whereas its three hours felt like three years, I only checked my watch once during 1917 when the movie was three-quarters over. My only regret is that I had to wait to see it because it meant delaying my Top 10 of 2019 list. The good news is that it was worth it. This movie will be on the list. Put it on yours too.
