1917 (2020)
- Movies With Morty
- Jan 11, 2020
- 4 min read
A Horrifyingly Poignant Movie Achivement
1917 (2020) tells the tale of two World War One soldiers, Schofield and Blake, who are tasked with delivering a message to stop a deadly massacre on hundreds of ally soldiers, Blake’s brother included.
Written And Directed By Sam Mendes (Spectre, American Beauty), this truely is a masterpiece of a war movie, depicting the true life horror the soldiers had to endure on a day to day basis.
The Film....
1917 (2020) is a true masterpiece of cinematic achievements and tells these soldiers story‘s in an eye opening and horrifying way that needs to be seen to be believed. Rarely does a film release that isn’t a remake or reboot that gathers so much hype and actually lives upto it.
The story follows two young men, Schofield, Played by George McKay (Defiance, Captain Fantastic) and Blake, Played by Dean Charles Chapman (Blinded By The Light, The King), and from the moment it starts you instantly get the friendship between these two characters, knowing they see each other as brothers more than just friends. They look out for each other when times get tough but also lift each others spirits up to make these tough times easier.
When the opening scene started I instantly got goosebumps and knew I was in for a thrilling and educational ride through life as a World War One solider and the horrors they endured. Many moments in this film are we shown the devastation and horrors that the First World War produces for these young men and how tough life was living not just in towns that had been destroyed by the Germans but also life in the trenches and how compact and confided these men all were. It makes you feel claustrophobic like you are living in that era of history and are one of the many soldiers who are doing the same job as you. The only way I can describe it is it felt like ants in a colony that are weaving between each other to get from A to B.
Not only is the film well written and paced well but it’s also a technical achievement within the world of cinema with its ‘continuous one take’ selling the film all the more. Whilst it isn’t shot in one take, the cuts in this film are so subtle you hardly even recognise them and genuinely makes the film feel like it’s been shot in one take. There’s one moment in particular where the camera pans through a window to a town the Germans have just took over and they are shooting flares in the air to shed some light and as the camera pans back down we are brought back to one of our main characters and it actually made me felt like I was playing a video game, in particular Grand Theft Auto in the way they pan the cutscenes and end it on the back of your character.
You know this films special when it makes its audience feel included in it, making you feel like you're the scout for these two young soldiers and are checking the background to see if there’s any enemy’s that may attack them at any given moment, it makes you not just appreciate the main leads but also it’s background and production design. There’s also a certain gunshot in this which you’ll know when you get too it, makes it feel like you’ve been directly hit in the chest and makes you jump out of your chair and check those around you to make sure everyone’s okay. It also picks up on PTSD at one moment which I loved and showed the true nature that some soldiers faced.
I have to bow down and pray to the legend that is Rodger Deakins who once again proved why he is one of the best cinematographers in the industry. The use of dangerous striking oranges mixing in with the bleak, dark blues of the morning sky were personal highlights of mine. If he doesn’t win at least one award for his cinematography then Deakins has been robbed big time.
However, my only downside and criticism is that the films trailers gave away the majority of the films plot points and for me that ruined the whole experience, when they happened I kinda just sat being like “I’ve seen this in the trailer so I know what’s about to happen” which left me feeling a tad deflated and not feeling the full experience this film had to offer. But there were some surprises that I wasn’t expecting so they could counteract the trailers mishaps.
The Cast....
There’s so many amazingly talented actors in this film that added to the films achievements.
For me the star of the movie is George McKay who brings the film to life through not just his acting but also his body actions, his facial expressions are so believable and made me care about his character. He puts in what I’d say is an award winning performance which sadly is getting overlooked but McKay has a very bright future ahead of him after this film I can feel it, watch this space.
I have to give Dean Charles Chapman his due too for his performance as Blake, whose brother is in the battalion who are going to get killed if they don’t deliver this message. Dean Chapman for the most part leads the film and again makes you care for his character as you so desperately want to see him succeed in saving his brother.
To Conclude....
1917 (2020) may have spoilt the majority of its plot through its trailers but takes the war genre to the next level and succeeds both on a technical and cinematic level that will please not just film lovers but also those of service who may have has family who fought in WW1 and pays homage to those who fought and died for us today.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
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