1917 **** (2019, Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch) – Movie Review

Director Sam Mendes feels it’s timely to bang on about the First World War again in his 2019 war drama 1917. Maybe it is, or maybe it’s about 100 years too late for this film.

His screenplay (with Krysty Wilson-Cairns) has a simple, straightforward, small story to tell, but he has a spectacular shot at brio film-making with his show-off single-take movie (though there look like there could be a couple of breaks in the film). All of these three things this count against 1917. A contemporary story, a complex scenario and conventional editing would be much, much better.

Mendes delivers a simple message, just as his two heroes try to do. His is a regulation anti-war message, though unfortunately that is still timely of course. His two young British lance corporal soldiers Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are ordered by General Erinmore (Colin Firth) to deliver a message through German territory to Colonel MacKenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) to stop 1,600 Brits, including Blake’s brother, charging into a trap and being wiped out.

Yet Mendes and MacKay do deliver their messages urgently. MacKay gives his all for the film. He’s just great. His everyman determination and portrayal of the life force is infectiously brilliant and inspiring. The other actors, with less to do, some much less, are very good.

Mendes gives a strong end-of-days flavour and feeling of the war, the trenches, and the waste of lives and resources, and conjures up a tense and eerie atmosphere, flying the flag for humanity and the niceness and sincerity of our boys. He states clearly their impossible mission and impossible situation.

For a while, it seems a chilly, emotionally frozen film. But, around half way, when the film concentrates solely on MacKay’s do-or-die mission, the film gets really intense and involving. It moves from eerie, to scary to a bit terrifying. The final scenes are tragic and moving.

Mark Strong, Daniel Mays, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden and Adrian Scarborough are useful, effective cast members, though without much screen time to make a real impression.

MacKay apart, the main heroes of this film are cinematographer Roger Deakins and production designer Dennis Gassner. Their brilliant work takes professionalism to an art form.

Obviously, 1917 is not an easy, pleasant or enjoyable experience. Popcorn and cola are best avoided in the cinema this time. Those looking for escapist entertainment can look elsewhere. It is however, finally as the film ends, a relief to get out of the trenches, and maybe value your own life a little more.

It won two Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director – Motion Picture.

It won seven BAFTA Film Awards, including Best Film, Outstanding British Film of the Year, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound and Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects.

It was nominated for 10 Oscars, and won a disappointing three; Best Achievement in Cinematography (Roger Deakins), Best Achievement in Visual Effects (Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, Dominic Tuohy) and Best Achievement in Sound Mixing (Mark Taylor, Stuart Wilson). It was widely expected to take the Best Picture honours, but Parasite did.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Movie Review

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