1917

War films often have a challenge when it comes to how to stand out from one another. There are a handful that feature a lot of warfare action, those with explicit amount of gore, reliance on cliches, etc. A few famous movies that made their mark for being groundbreaking in their craft include Saving Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now (the latter is one I haven't seen yet but I should probably fix that later on). I haven't watched that many features within this genre but I try to pick out some of the good ones (most recent of them I can recall have been Dunkirk and Hacksaw Ridge). This brings us to a new entry in this topic 1917, which was directed by Sam Mendes, who based part of this film on an account told to him by his war experienced paternal grandfather, Alfred Mendes. The marketing campaign seemed intriguing by the premise and a cinematography gimmick mentioned piqued my interest. These types of movies released around the holiday season usually have a surprising quality to it and I didn't want to miss out on it. I entered the auditorium during the time of its limited theatrical release before going wide recently and left the theater stunned by the excellent quality it provided.

What's it about? Taking place during World War I, the story follows two British soldiers on a mission to deliver a message to halt a planned attack in order to avoid an ambush. The camera work here is edited in a way to make it appear as if it's done in one long continuous shot, though there are places where it could have been seamlessly pieced together. It feels like a video game experience where you are following these soldiers from start to finish and observing the tension from each obstacle. A similarity that can be made here is that it takes the technical craft of Dunkirk except it provides enough heart to feel like a complete package. It's not afraid of showing the harsh disgusting conditions of a battle field and the unforgiving prices of embarking on harrowing missions with an ending the brought out tears that it earned.

How are the actors? The leads to focus on here are George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman. The on-screen chemistry between both of these actors brings the characterization many were hoping to find in Dunkirk where they feel realistic with the dangers facing them. MacKay does a great portraying a stern and cautious attitude, which is combined the character details we learn about this role adds more value than you might realize. Chapman's equally endearing optimism and determination as shown in his solid performance is something that shouldn't be underestimated as the aspects of his character meshes well with the hazardous environment they trek through. While there are a handful of well-known actors that appear here, it should be noted that they have very limited time for their supportive roles.

Overall Consensus: 1917 is a masterful war epic that combines enough elements of suspense, endearing characterization, harsh realism, amazing cinematography, and solid action in an excellent package. ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑🎟🍿 Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes R

Reasons to watch it: You are a fan of the aforementioned actors and/or filmmaker Sam Mendes. You want to see a seamlessly edited long takes to appear as one continuous shot. You enjoy war epics that take place during World War I with solid realism and main leads worth rooting for.

Reasons to avoid it: You aren't a fan of the aforementioned actors and/or filmmaker Sam Mendes. You dislike seamlessly edited long takes to appear as one continuous shot. You aren't a fan of war epics.