1917 Review: A Big-Screen Spectacle to Behold!

1917 Review: Much like the 2014 Academy award winner – Birdman, Sam Mendes’ 2019 war film – 1917 follows the same format that makes the film look like one continuous take for the entire two-hour runtime. Set during Operation Alberich of World War I, the storyline of 1917 follows the travel of two young British Lance Corporals – Schofield and Blake (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) as they try to deliver direct orders from their General to Colonel Mackenzie to call off the attack on the Germans for considerable reasons.

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Starting with the prime reason why 1917 felt like a unique and special war film compared to others from the same genre is that it looked like a single take for its entirety. And because it follows the uncut narrative format, the structure of the plot gave every indication of fluidity, simpleness and is memorable all the way through. As the storyline only includes traveling from point A to B, the visuals, dialogue, and character moments stick to your mind comfortably as I’m sure you’ll recollect every scene without a hitch.

As far as executing the “one-shot” gimmick goes, cinematographer Roger Deakins—who recently won an Academy Award for his remarkable work in Blade Runner 2049, takes care of business in the most spectacular way possible. Every single scene and visual in the movie is a masterclass of extraordinary camera work, and Deakins rightfully earned all the acclaim for his chef-d’Å“uvre. From lighting up a scene naturally, coordinating the long, elaborate takes and executing them with s teady camera shots, and no shaky cam is a true feat of exceptional visual imagery that should only be experienced on the big screen.

While the story of the film is kept simple and definitive on the surface, the subtle aspects which gave our characters the motivation and strength are illustrated beautifully on-screen. The emotional connection, whether it’s between two brothers, friends or family, especially during the time of war and emergency, was expressed poignantly with brief character moments, which also helped in pacing the film flawlessly.

Complementing the magnificent cinematography, the technical aspects from the sound mixing to editing helped in creating that big picture feel. Along with the background score by Thomas Newman, who captured the vibe and helped intensify the scenes when needed.

Moving on to the performances, while the entire film primarily concentrated on a single character, the other cameo appearances from Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch were a welcome surprise. George MacKay who carried the whole movie along with Dean-Charles Chapman had given an astounding performance portraying every emotion from fear, dejection, grumpiness, and emptiness of a disgruntled soldier.

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Overall, Sam Mendes’ 1917 is a spectacle to behold, a titanic display of hard work and perfection, and is a must-watch movie on the big screen. Accompanying the phenomenal camera work, Mendes also managed to put forth the emotion and the mental struggle these soldiers go through for years in concise, well-expressed portions in a two-hour movie. From the extraordinary performances to everything technical—sound, visuals, etc. 1917 is a movie you cannot miss watching in theaters.

1917 Rating – 4/5 | Grade – A

Images via Universal Pictures