Better late than never, I finally had the chance to watch Sam Mendes’ 1917 (2019), though officially released in January 2020 in most of the countries. Frankly, I now understand why everyone was so surprised when Parasite (2019) took home the Oscar for best picture. Not that Parasite was not worthy but 1917 was definitely equally deserving, also it was English so yeah I guess this year’s Oscars were revolutionary (in a good way)!
Film – 1917 (2019)
Duration – 1h 59m
Director – Sam Mendes
Main Cast – George MacKey, Dean-Charles Chapman, Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch
Rating – 5/5 (A Perfect Film!)
What a breathtaking and spectacular film!!! Sam Mendes’ 1917 is the best war film since Saving Private Ryan (1998), in fact it is at par with it. 1917 is not just a movie, it is a cinematic experience and majority of the credit for this goes to the legendary cinematographer, Roger Deakins! I mean the direction was excellent, the screenplay was also quite good but the cinematography of the film was class apart and among the best I have ever seen.
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| Waaow! (Image: © DreamWorks Pictures) |
The film was made to look like it was shot in one continuous take, though obviously there must have been various invisible cuts which even the most hawk-eyed viewers won’t be able to make out. But that’s not what is special as Birdman (2014) did the same; what’s special is doing so in a genre like War Drama and that too with such perfection! You see, incorporating action, thrill, destruction and horrors of war within limited camera movements and cuts is more than just applaud worthy. It is something never seen before and it would have been a punch to the guts if the Academy would have chosen someone other that Roger Deakins for his well deserved Oscar for the same.
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| The Legend Roger Deakins himself (Image: © DreamWorks Pictures) |
With a goosebumps inducing score by Thomas Newman, 1917 also has one of the best sound designs. In a war movie, especially, sound matters a lot and the film has brilliant sound mixing as well as flawless sound editing. I am not kidding when I say that you are literally transported to the battle field while watching this film, all thanks to its amazing audio and visual appeal. Talking about visual appeal, apart from the world class cinematography, 1917 also boasts powerful practical visual effects and a highly impressive production design which I will get back to later.
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| Sam Mendez and Thomas Newman (Image: © DreamWorks Pictures) |
Let’s talk about the concept of the movie for a second. 1917 is inspired by tales from Sam Mendes’ grandfather who served in the British Army and the theme is as simple as two boys on a mission to deliver a message from the army General at Base A to a Colonel at Base B. The beauty of the film lies in its execution and that is what most War dramas are about i.e. the execution. And I guess it is absolutely clear from this review so far that the execution of 1917 is phenomenal and some serious awe-inspiring stuff!
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| (Image: © DreamWorks Pictures) |
Talking about the performances, George MacKey and Dean-Charles Chapman are the only guys that the film focuses on for the majority of its run-time and both of them have delivered tremendous performances with MacKey shining the brightest among the entire cast. Famous British actors Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch blessed the film with their cameos and though they were just cameos, most of the gripping and inspiring dialogues in film came from them. In fact, each of these characters had one distinct and memorable moment.
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| Powerful Cameos! (Image: © DreamWorks Pictures) |
Coming back to the visual appeal, as I mentioned above practical visual effects instead of CGI played a key role in keeping it as realistic and as close to the characters on screen as possible. Also, the set designs were breathtaking showcasing the horrors of war and the catastrophe that follows it. Though it not as gory as some of the war films out there but it succeeds in conveying the desired message and invoking strong emotions. The costumes, make up and hair-styling also added a lot in creating that war specific environment.
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| Practical Effects (Image: © DreamWorks Pictures) |
I think, I’ve said enough now so to end I’ll just say that 1917 is the most technically sound film I have seen in a while and makes up for an unforgettable thrill ride which I never wanted to end. So please do yourselves a favor and watch this film on the biggest screen with the best sound system as possible!
