Today’s quick review: 1917. As British forces fight to liberate France from the German invasion during World War I, Lance Corporals Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) are chosen for a crucial mission. The two soldiers must journey alone into enemy territory to deliver a message to Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) and stop him from leading thousands of British troops, including Blake’s brother, into a German ambush.
1917 is a war thriller that follows two British soldiers through the danger and chaos of World War I. Blake and Schofield face long odds as they pass through no man’s land, the German trenches, and the French countryside in an effort to reach Mackenzie in time to call off his attack. 1917 is a tense and unpredictable film made all the more immersive by its unique cinematography. The result is a tightly constructed story with real emotional impact.
1917 captures its World War I setting with remarkable skill. The costumes, the locations, and the characters are all utterly convincing. Schofield and Blake are two ordinary soldiers with distinct personalities, real hopes and fears, and an almost insurmountable task before them. The unexpected perils they face make their journey engrossing from start to finish. Along the way, the story finds room for heroism, loss, and beauty amidst horror.
1917 uses another important tool to help tell its story: its cinematography. The entire movie is presented as a single, continuous tracking shot. The camera moves with Blake and Schofield through trenches, into buildings, and across battlefields, interrupted by only a handful of well-disguised cuts. This technique is not only an impressive feat at a technical level, but it also grounds the viewer in the world and establishes the scope of the journey.
1917 is a war movie with outstanding craftsmanship, engaging cinematography, and a rich emotional palette. The content may be too dramatic for some viewers; even at its most serene, it’s not meant to be an easy watch. But 1917 has the raw quality it needs to win over even skeptical viewers. Its acting, cinematography, and storytelling are hard to fault, and anyone with even a remote interest in the war genre should give it a watch.
For another potent look at the perils of war, try Dunkirk or Letters from Iwo Jima.
8.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 to 8.5 for outstanding quality.