#46 1917

In Summary

When we think about World War I, we tend to think of muddy men waiting in muddy trenches. We think of stiff upper lip, poetry, a slow death and decay. While this is all shown in 1917, it is a kinetic film that brings The Great War to life in an urgent, visceral manner.

The film is a race against time as two soldiers - Will Schofield and Tom Blake - are tasked with getting a message across the trenches to call of a doomed attack. By setting up this time limit, it creates an urgency to the film, every setback or even a pause for breath ramps up the tension further.

1917's sense of urgency is added to through director, Sam Mendes', use of one continuous shot, meaning the camera is constantly moving to keep up with our two protagonists as they follow this long, winding and treacherous path through the mire of war.

While one continuous piece, the film is broken up into these little vignettes which provide an insight into the various aspects of life on the frontline of World War I. From the classic trenches where you can see the impact on soldiers of a life of constant stress, to these open fields where soldiers are transported, to a crumbled French town where the survivors live underground like rats. 1917 provides the war with a sense of scale that isn't always apparent in films that focus purely on trench life.

There is a ramping up of desperation through 1917 that take the film into an increasingly eerie and trascendental place. The journey of these soldiers is not just to deliver a message across the extent of the frontline but a journey into their inner nature. When you strip someone away into a state of constant stress what are they capable of and how do they hold onto any sense of their humanity?

A Memorable Quote

I hoped today would be a good day. Hope is a dangerous thing.

Things You May Not Know

• Although the film is intended to appear as one continuous shot, the longest unbroken shot in the film is eight and a half minutes long, the shortest is just 39 seconds. The effect was achieved through dozens of 'invisible' edits, such as moving the camera behind objects or transitions through black.
• Just under one mile of trenches were dug for the making of this film.
• This is the first film that director, Sam Mendes, has a writing credit for.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
1917 feels very different from a lot of World War I films, bringing a visceral sense of urgency whereas others feel more stuffy and claustrophobic. The sense of a journey into the edge of abyss is depicted expertly, with the film progressing into this ghoulish, transcendental stage by the end. It feels almost as if Will Schofield has died and passed into a netherworld before he completes his journey.

The main weakness with the film is that the lead characters feel a little too much like a blank slate, which I would imagine is intentional so that the audience can place themselves in their boots, it gives 1917 this slightly cold edge to it. Other than that though, this is a highly effective piece of filmmaking both on a technical and storytelling level.