Skip to main content

1917 Movie Review

“If we’re not clever about this, no one will get to your brother.” - Lance Corporal William Schofield
See the source image
1917 is a war film directed by Sam Mendes.  It was given a limited release on Christmas of 2019, and was just given a wide release on January 10, 2020.  It stars George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Colin Firth.  The story follows two British soldiers in WWI, who are assigned to travel across enemy lines to prevent another regiment from walking into a trap set by the Germans.  
Ever since I first started hearing about 1917, I wanted to see it.  And now that I have seen it, I am confident in saying that this is not only Sam Mendeses’ best film since American Beauty, but it is also the finest war film I’ve seen since Hacksaw Ridge.  It does what good war movies should do: it immerses you in the action.  It makes you feel as if you are in the trenches or crossing enemy lines with these two soldiers.
The film is made to look like one massive tracking shot.  This is a technique that has been used before, notably in the 2014 film Birdman.  But this is the only war film that I have seen use this technique, and I am amazed that no other war film has ever done something like this before.  Cinematographer Roger Deakins creates some truly beautiful and intense images, and the way he captures barren landscapes and abandoned structures is really eerie.  There are also a number of “impossible shots” that made my jaw drop because of how technically brilliant they are.
Frequent Sam Mendes collaborator Thomas Newman wrote the score for 1917, and as to be expected from Newman, it is a masterpiece.  He can’t write bad music.  It’s funny how you can tell when a piece of music was written by Thomas Newman.  His style is so distinctive that it’s impossible not to recognize.  He has always been my favorite film score composer of all time, and he outdoes himself yet again with 1917.
My favorite aspect of 1917 is the writing.  The way the film is written is quite similar to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk.  It is more focused on telling a broad story as opposed to going into detail with the characters.  For as much as we follow the two soldiers, we really don’t get to learn anything about their personal lives.  But nevertheless, they are still unbelievably compelling.  You don’t really need to know anything about their personal lives, because their actions define who they are.  They both are driven, focused, passionate and determined, and they will stop at nothing to complete their mission, even if it means death.  I loved how the two characters managed to feel real and relatable even though we never learn much about their lives outside of the war.
1917 is yet another film that I have a very difficult time finding flaws with.  Everything is done as well as it could’ve been done, and I consider it to be one of the best films of 2019.  It’s timely, relevant and thrilling, and I really hope that lots of people get to experience this film in theaters like I did.  
Rating: R
Grade: A+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tenet Movie Review

  “We live in a twilight world.” - The Protagonist         Tenet is the latest film from legendary director Christopher Nolan.  It stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Elizabeth Debicki.  The film tells the complicated story of a man known simply as the Protagonist, as he and a group of others attempt to stop a Russian oligarch from destroying the world using a process known as inversion.  From there, the characters are led to different locations across the globe as they grapple with enemies both in the future and the past. Tenet was one of my most anticipated films of this year.  It was supposed to release over the summer, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delayed multiple times.  I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to see the film in a theater setting as opposed to watching it at home like so many other people have been doing for films t...
3 comments
Read more

La La Land Movie Review

“Here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem.” - Mia Dolan One of my favorite musicals of all time , this romantic film had me singing along and tapping my feet the entire way through.  The storyline, acting, music, choreography, and cinematography are all excellent. Emma Stone’s performance of “Audition/The Fools Who Dream” made me cry. I loved the fantastical elements too. This movie really hit me emotionally. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have such fantastic chemistry here, and their singing and dancing ability is fantastic too. I loved the costume design, and the sets were also great. This movie really romanticizes L.A. night life, and I honestly loved that. This is one of those films that I wish I could experience all over again for the first time. Rating: PG-13 A+
1 comment
Read more

Da 5 Bloods Movie Review

“Why do you fight against us, so far away from where you are needed?” - Hanoi Hannah Da 5 Bloods is the newest film directed by Spike Lee, and it stars Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Chadwick Boseman, and Jonathan Majors.  The film tells the tale of four Black veterans who return to Vietnam in the present day to bring home the remains of a fallen soldier.  However, that isn’t their only mission.  They are also there to recover a cache of buried gold and split the money between the four of them.   Da 5 Bloods is an incredibly intense yet heartfelt film, and it’s also very important and relevant to what’s going on in the world today.  It’s an extremely politically charged movie, and while that could be a turn-off for some people, I think it’s the type of film that needs to be seen regardless of who you are.  It’s informative and educational, and it gives the viewer knowledge about our current political climate as well as t...
Post a Comment
Read more