1917 (2019) follows two guys run through World War I to learn that it's all about the friends who die along the way.
A beautifully shot epic of a war not often covered, 1917 still fails to tell an overly compelling story.
Directed by: Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition)
Written by: Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Road to Penny Dreadful) and Sam Mendes (Road to Same Guy)
Starring: Dean-Charles Chapman (Road to Game of Thrones), George MacKay (Road to Peter Pan), and Daniel Mays (Road to Rogue One)
People have been telling war stories since, well, people existed. Most of the ancient ballads are about guys and gals going off to kill other guys and gals. Here we have yet another story of violence and war, one with a hell of a lot of technical achievement but telling the same old story: war is heck.
World War I has been raging across Europe. On the Brittish side, Schofield and Blake have been given a mission: stop a suicide charge that will kill thousands. Blake's brother is among those about to charge into battle, so the two set across a hellscape to save his and everyone else's lives.
The technical achievements performed to film this movie are amazing. Mendes shoots the film with wide, beautiful shots of devastated landscapes and claustrophobic tunnels with all the shots stitched together to make it feel like one long shot. The editing alone makes this movie deserving of a watch.
That being said, like other movies with strong technical prowess, 1917 feels hollow at times. Sure, we get the sacrifice and injustice that comes with war, but there's not a whole lot new in the story. Half Saving Private Ryan, and half Hurt Locker, we get two soldiers struggling to survive while doing a lot of walking. At times the movie can be effective, but the effect feels manufactured. An achievement, to be sure, but one that feels almost redundant.
Lots of movies boast needing to be seen on a large screen with great sound. 1917 adds to their number. It's worth seeing in the theater for anyone who enjoys epic filmmaking, but the general public will forget about it within a few years.
Here are my notes, beware spoilers
Medium shots
Because of the need to connect the shots through editing, everyone ends up getting shot at the same angle and the same waist to head. Few shots break this mold, but the ones that do are amazing.
Old and Young Guy
War Trope #154: Our heroes are a grizzled and tired veteran with kids at home paired with a young man naive to the world.
Bodies in Mud
One of the least covered wars, WWI had a ton of images that few have ever captured. One of those is the mass of bodies stuck in the mud our heroes have to crawl over and through. It's horrific.
Rat Bomb
In a claustrophobic sequence, our heroes find a German bunker rigged to explode. Then a rat explodes them. What's up with rats triggering things this year? (Avengers Endgame)
Fallout
As they exit the bunker, there's a very clever edit point with the sun washing out the camera. It reminded me of the game Fallout 3.
Plane Stabbing
A genuinely shocking moment, right from Saving Private Ryan, the kind-hearted hero gets stuck trying to help an enemy. It was surprising, but in retrospect it felt a little over-done.
Surprise Mark Strong
I love seeing this guy.
Some men just want the fight
I did love this quote. Get to the general to stop the charge, but don't be alone with him because some men want to carnage war brings. A nice little commentary.
Deus Ex Leche
Really glad he got that milk a few scenes earlier to give to the mom. Real lucky there.
Silent Choking
Another scene that had me holding my breath, Schofield killing a man in quiet desperation was amazing and tense.
Lord of Rivers
I get that we needed a way to break up the action, but how many people have stories of war where they fell in a river and were washed down to the place they were trying to go? Maybe a few, what do I know?
Bene Dick
I just wanted to make this pun. Cumberbatch plays a good jerk.
Glad Mom were with him
Not gonna lie, I don't remember what this meant. The ending where Schofield finds the brother is good, but I have no clue why I wrote this.