Up until seeing this film, I figured “Joker” was a cinch for the best picture of 2019. Though “1917” is being released in full this weekend, it did get a small release at the end of the year, therefore qualifying it for the awards season that is currently underway — but I hadn’t positioned it as a threat to Todd Phillips’ masterpiece. I really thought it was going to be a smaller version of“Saving Private Ryan.” Other than the news of the Golden Globes ‘Best Picture’ win, and a basic premise of what the movie was about — I had no idea that I was about to watch a masterclass in filmmaking.
The movie wastes no time setting things into motion, as two soldiers in the British army are brought before a general and told they must deliver a message to stop 1,600 soldiers — who believe they are about to win an important battle — from going forward. The reality is, they are walking straight into a trap which will likely lead to them all being killed. To add to the intensity, one of the soldiers chosen has a brother in the battalion who needs to receive the message. From there, the action never stops.
Right off the bat, I was struck with the realism of the film. On their way to the general, and as they set out to begin their mission, the soldiers walk through a labyrinth of a trench; filmed in such a way that you quickly forget you’re watching a movie and actually feel as though you’re walking with them. It wasn’t until about ten minutes into the movie that I realized there was a reason I felt this way…the entire film to that point had been done on one camera, which was following the soldiers everywhere they went, and to my eyes, there had been no edits, cuts, or breaks. It appeared as though everything I had watched happened in real time. The camera was not only being used to show what was going on, but it was acting as if it were a third soldier right beside the two who were given the mission. As viewers, we had not left their sides, and were privy to everything they had seen and done, as if we were with them. It didn’t take much longer to realize that “1917” was being presented as one long continuous take.
The more and more that sunk in, the more enthralled I became with the movie. I began to wonder how in the world something so complex — especially a war film — could even be done. I couldn’t imagine the amount of time it would take to synchronize and choreograph everything that was occurring, all while keeping the images perfectly framed and in focus; not to mention the pressure the actors and entire crew must have felt to not mess up for fear of having to start over. Of course, it wasn’t all done with one shot — as with movie magic there are places where edits do take place — but still, what was done in one shot must have been immensely difficult to achieve. For that alone — this film deserves the Oscar for ‘Best Picture.’
While my mind was running through the degree of difficulty the film had been made with, I also felt I was being pulled into the story more and more. I had bought in. I was the unnamed third soldier with our two heroes — running, walking, hiding, and crouching along with them as we tried to get to the soldiers with the important message that would save their lives. What I thought was going to be a re-hash of the “Saving Private Ryan” story quickly became a mission I deeply cared about, and desperately wanted to help the soldiers achieve.
The director and co-writer of the film, Sam Mendes, has stated the film was based loosely on stories his grandfather, Alfred Mendes, had told him when he had served with the British Army during the First World War. If his grandfather, and indeed any of the brave soldiers who fought in the First Great War were alive to see this film, I imagine they would be so proud of what the movie achieves. Not only does it show the grit and bravery of those who staved off evil in that war, but it also depicts it in a way that perhaps has never been seen on a big screen before. “Saving Private Ryan” is still perhaps the best war movie ever made — but “1917” deserves a place right alongside it. While “Ryan” feels grand in scale, and brought the realism of World War II to the screen in a way never seen before —“1917” takes it a step further and places you in the trenches with the heroes who fought and sacrificed for the way of life we all enjoy.
On a side note, if you would like more information on the immense scale and planning that went into the making of “1917,” check out this behind the scenes feature on YouTube. It will make you appreciate the film even more.
“1917” is in theaters now, and is rated ‘R’ for violence, some disturbing images, and language.
