1917 (2020) - Review

It's April 1917, and Lance Corporal Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) Lance Corporal Will Schofield (George MacKay) are sent on a mission by their commanding officer General Erinmore (Colin Firth) to prevent an attack on the German forces by the 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, as what at first seemed to be the enemy on the run seems to be the enemy laying a trap. The two Lance Corporals have only a matter of hours to get across the trenches, over enemy lines and all the way to where the 2nd Battalion are posted before a massacre ensues. In fact, it'd take about two hours, as 1917 plays out (almost) in real-time. Right from the off, director Sam Mendes and his cinematographer Roger Deakins endeavour to tell the whole story of 1917 in what appears to be one, continuous shot. There are of course a number of hidden edits throughout the film, and there's a very obvious cut at a crucial moment, but nevertheless the film sticks to this format, and works all the better for it.

Because of the nature of making a film like 1917, it's filled with a variety of imperfections. Actors trip over, accidentally bump into one another, and clumsily fumble around with various props in such a non-Hollywood film way that it really adds to this sense of verisimilitude. These characters, Blake and Schofield, aren't movie stars, they are meant to be seen as real people, as these imperfections really help to create this illusion. It helps too that both characters are played exceptionally well by Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay, who portray their roles as down-to-earth and inherently real. We follow them through their adventure every step of the way, and it's hard not to feel attached to them, as they struggle to carry out their orders against all the odds. The film offers them moments of real humanity, whether it be in their conversations with one another or the awkward silences as they trudge from one part of the trench to the next.

It helps too that the cinematography is top-notch here, from the carefully-staged camerawork to the incredible naturalistic lighting. Everything feels both tightly rehearsed but also completely in-the-moment and improvised by everyone. There are some brief moments where the film feels a little staged, but its an incredible feat to get something this naturalistic. With such long, continuous takes, the film has to pull off every trick in the book to keep scenes moving at a good pace, and to build a sense of tension. The production design is absolutely incredible, with amazing attention to detail, and the costumes all look so worn and dirty that it really provides this sense that Blake and Schofield have already lived through years fighting in the First World War, and get even dirtier still as the story unfolds. Whoever handled the continuity work did an incredible job keeping everything consistent, and even with the hidden edits, 1917 still feels like one continuous shot. There aren't any moments of obvious visual effects, and every place the characters visit feels lived-in, uncomfortable and hostile. You can almost touch some of the locations, it just feels so inherently real. It's absolutely incredible. Kudos also has to be given to composer Thomas Newman, whose ambient score really adds the mood of each scene, mostly to add even more tension, in case you weren't already on the edge of your seat. It's a beautifully made film all-round.

I should also mention that I had the privilege to see 1917 at the BFI IMAX (the biggest screen in Britain, apparently), and it was absolutely jaw-dropping on such a big screen, showing off Roger Deakins' incredible cinematography to a whole new level, and also highlighting just how excellent the sound work is. Deakins likes to shoot his films in an "open-matte" style, and then crop to cinemascope in post-production, so for the IMAX screenings of 1917, the full open-matte version is supplied, meaning that it filled up (almost) the entire screen, so you could see even more of the image on the IMAX screen as opposed to a standard cinema screen. It really adds an extra level to the film's visuals, and if you get a chance to see 1917 in IMAX, I highly recommend you take it.

Overall, 1917 is a masterpiece of cinematic story-telling. It's a technical marvel, impressing on every single level, but is held together by a surprisingly strong screenplay, and incredibly dedicated performances from its two leads. The film manages to balance the emotional weight of the story in following its lead characters, as well as giving audiences an idea of just how hostile and horrible life in the trenches in the First World War was, but also succeeds as a spectacular feat of film-making craft, on every level. 1917 is well worth seeing on the biggest screen you can. 10/10