1917 (2019)

Review

119min

Genre:     Drama, Thriller, War

Director:  Sam Mendes

Cast:       George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth…and more

Writers:   Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns

-Synopsis-

In the trenches and frontlines of the first world war, two young British soldiers are given a deadly mission—venture deep behind enemy lines to deliver a message and stop a doomed attack which will save the lives of 1600 men . . . including one of their brothers.

From an acclaimed (and continuing) career in the British theatre to an Oscar-winning directorial debut with ‘American Beauty’, memorable cinematic period journeys of American gangster revenge and explorations of modern warfare, all the way to his hugely successfully recent helming of the ‘Bond’ franchise—all roads for Sam Mendes have led to ‘1917’, his magnum opus. As the son of Berkshire teams up with co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns and reunites with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, bringing all his filmmaking experience and cinematic craftsmanship to a visceral personal take on the lamentable ‘Great War’, delivering an instant classic and one of the finest World War I films ever made.

George MacKay stars as young British soldier ‘Lance Corporal Will Schofield’, whose service in the trenches of northern France at the height of the ‘Great War’ takes a fateful turn when he’s selected to accompany his brother-in-arms ‘Lance Corporal Tom Blake’ (Dean-Charles Chapman) on a deadly mission, charged by their general ‘Erinmore’ (Colin Firth) with delivering a crucial message deep behind enemy lines and stop an attack by another British battalion, obliviously waiting to be ambushed. But their trek across an abandoned no-man’s-land and a seemingly deserted German line soon turns into a voyage through the depths of hell, in a race against time to prevent a massacre . . . in a war fast becoming defined by them.

Paying tribute to his own WWI young veteran grandfather, and inspired by generations of classic war films from ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ to ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and the more recent ‘Dunkirk’, and perhaps even survival thrillers like Mel Gibson’s ‘Apocalypto’, Mendes has managed to craft an extraordinarily enthralling and visceral experience while packing it with plenty of heart and humanity—something sorely missing from the world he depicts—giving us an instant classic tale of brotherhood, duty and survival which takes place over the course of several hours, but feels like it’s happening in real-time.

It takes a monumental team effort and some crucial elements to make a film of this scale look like it was shot in one continuous take, or perhaps two, chief among which are bold creativity and masterful cinematic craftsmanship, nimble and versatile camerawork, extensive planning and of course some seamless editing—not to mention a superbly melancholy and poignant but powerful score from Thomas Newman to set the mood and drive the drama. It also doesn’t hurt to have the shoulder of a modern cinematic master to lean on, as Mendes reunites with Roger Deakins to compose an array of stunning shots which range from stunning panoramic vistas of the British countryside doubling for northern France, to jarringly beautiful night-time shots illuminated by hellfire. Like moving paintings as if done by William Turner himself.

Together they create a stunning cinematic canvas filled with long mesmerising takes, including a truly breathtaking frontline conclusion, juxtaposing picturesque shots with the bleak horrors of the Great War. And the film’s very structure is crucial in establishing its considerable tension, its sense of urgency and immediacy, and to do justice to its tagline of “time is the enemy”—even despite breaking up the momentum to dwell on some much-needed humanity. All of which allows you to build a connection with protagonists about whom we know very little, as we live every moment of their nightmarish struggle from start to finish, never being taken outside of their immediate world or having the luxury of knowing what’s coming.

Indeed the horror of war is a central theme in ‘1917’, but Mendes and co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns go beyond  just illuminating the grind and brutality of trench warfare. They make sure to bolster the film’s anti-war credentials by hanging the stench of death heavily in the air, and in the ground and water, relying on the sterling efforts of the production and set designers to paint a heartbreakingly bleak picture of war—vividly capturing the horrors of arguably the most devastatingly pointless and unnecessary war in recent human history.

Into this expertly re-created hell on Earth are thrown the cast, and it’s a testament to how many things ‘1917’ gets right that its success comes without a recognisable name in a principal role, with the ensemble of bankable British names proving little more than a selection of cameos as military figures who cross the path of the film’s two leads.

Meanwhile young up-and-comers George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman and their battle-weary characters are put through the wringer and made to run a whole new terrible gauntlet—a cinematic reflection of what the actual young souls of the Great War had to endure—with both actors shining in hugely demanding roles where they maintain a level of stoicism and determination under fire, but  letting the uncertainty and hubris of youth shine through. And for all the diversity-fuelled talk of so-called snubs already in this year’s award season, there may well be a no more overlooked but deserved nominee than MacKay—although it’s hard to reasonably argue with the leading men who have been recognised.

When ‘1917’ was awarded the biggest prize at the recent Golden Globes, we were sceptical about a decision for a late entry which hadn’t yet been given a general US release and no UK one at all. But alas no real cinephile who values the sheer quality of a film and its immediate emotional impact over anything else can argue with the decision now. Ultimately Mendes’ masterpiece is not only easily one of the very best films of the past twelve months, but immediately enters the pantheon of greatest ever World War I and anti-war classics alongside the likes of Kubrick’s ‘Paths of Glory’ and both versions of ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’—and in general it’s one of the finest war films in a very long time.

The Bottom Line…

A gloriously nerve-shredding survival thriller and bleakly beautiful epic anti-war drama—painfully plastering inhumanity onto the screen yet packed with heart—‘1917’ sees Sam Mendes muster all of his filmmaking nous and lean on the considerable talents of the people around him to deliver the crowning achievement of his career thus far. A visceral and truly unforgettable tribute to the victims of the Great War, and those who suffered at the hands of colossally tragic hard-headedness and ineptitude . . . on an industrial scale.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Paths Of Glory (1957)

Amid the grind of the trenches and the horrors of World War I, a French colonel and lawyer is dragged through military bureaucracy and forced to defend his men’s lives from overzealous generals, after they refuse to carry out orders for an impossible and suicidal attack on the German front line.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker and George Macready among others.

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