1917
1917 - Universal Pictures
Sam Mendes’ 1917 is a technical marvel. Employing the technique of a single take, 1917 follows two lance corporals tasked with hand-delivering a letter to call off an attack on the seemingly retreating Germans who intend to trap a nearby British battalion. As Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) advance through enemy lines, they must endure the horrors of trench warfare as they race to save thousands of British lives.
MacKay and Chapman are able to quickly ingrain the friendship between Schofield and Blake into the film. The two actors brilliantly tackle the long shots, giving natural performances that keep the film from feeling repetitive. Blake is tasked with delivering the message, as his older brother is a part of the other battalion, and Schofield goes along with him to support his friend. The two are side by side, telling silly stories and keeping each other safe. The heart between the two soldiers is also the heart of 1917; the relationship MacKay and Chapman have shown through Schofield and Blake gives the film its emotional depth that it would lack otherwise. Their chemistry allows the imminent danger faced in the film to become even more tense and suspenseful than 1917 already is.
1917 features a number of cameos from other famed British actors: Colin Firth tasks Schofield and Blake with their mission and Benedict Cumberbatch plays a battalion leader. All of these actors manage to fully realize their characters, considering the limited screen time they all get, but none more so than Andrew Scott and Richard Madden. Both men are able to inject their acting with the perfect tone for the points they appear in the film.
Overall, Mendes makes 1917 into a personal portrait of the First World War. Though it hits familiar notes of other war films, by employing the one-shot technique and following the odyssey of Schofield and Blake in real-time, Mendes’ film becomes a small-scale, intimate look into the lives of soldiers within the larger war. The usage of the camera closely following the two lance corporals effectively puts the audience into the trenches with them. Cinematographer Roger Deakins excels with the impeccable tracking shots placed throughout 1917, phenomenal blocking helps the film come together. It also never feels as bleak as other war films, it remains very bright as most of the action occurs during the day. During the night, the ruined villages the soldiers pass through are lit up with fires and flares. Deakins overcomes the challenge of seamlessly capturing the story without any visible edits or cuts and while there are plenty of points in the film where one would think these cuts would be placed, editor Lee Smith never breaks the film’s single shot — with the exception of one particular moment.
1917’s production designer Dennis Gassner and his team add to the peril faced by Schofield and Blake. No Man’s Land is littered with the rotting corpses of fallen soldiers, gnawed on by rats and picked apart by crows. The two soldiers often find themselves crawling over the bodies as they evade traps left behind by the Germans. Gassner helps Mendes and Deakins succeed in creating 1917’s continuous take, ensuring that all of the settings accurately match up, no matter the filming location. The trenches themselves are a particular marvel, packed with heavy muck that sucks boots into the earth. The team takes care to differentiate the British and German trenches, since the two countries used different techniques in their construction. Oftentimes, Schofield and Blake are right in the trenches with low tracking shots following close behind them.
Composer Thomas Newman brings a score to 1917 that helps manage the film’s pacing and tension, often just teasing the latter. For the bulk of the film, the music is understated, becoming bigger and more expressionistic as the dangers of the film heighten. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran also adds realism to 1917 with a period-accurate wardrobe. The uniforms of the British soldiers were made with sheep’s wool, just as they were during the Great War. The heavy fabric hangs off the actors whether soaked with mud or river water, contributing to the misery faced by Schofield and Blake.
1917 is based on an account told by Sam Mendes’ paternal grandfather, Alfred Mendes, who fought in World War One and was tasked with carrying messages along the Western Front. Mendes and his team convey a personal story through 1917’s continuous shot, technical craftsmanship and a focus on the friendship between Schofield and Blake. 1917 is an outstanding film that is emotionally impressive within the smaller scale of warfare.
1917 is released 10th of January 2020