With a solid but unexceptional script and merely reliable performances, the true draw of 1917 is the filmmaking by director Sam Mendes (Skyfall) and his collaborators, which elevates the World War I epic to one of the year’s genuine cinematic highlights.

The straightforward story centers on British lance corporals Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay), two friends on the frontline in northern France. They’re informed the Germans have been spotted in retreat, and that nearby British battalions are advancing. However, aerial reconnaissance has revealed the Germans are luring them into a trap. With phone lines destroyed, there’s no way to alert British troops to the danger, and so Blake and Schofield are ordered to race on foot through the perilous No Man’s Land to prevent an attack that will cost 1,600 lives — including that of Blake’s brother.

The plot is established within the opening moments, allowing 1917 to push the soldiers to the edge — against German traps, enemy soldiers and the weather. The performances by Chapman and MacKay are strong, but their characters aren’t given much depth. A host of famous British actors (Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch) appear in minor roles, quickly leaving an impression but not overstaying their welcome as the heroes head further into their mission.

 

Instead, the focus is less about the characters and more about their journey. That’s where the direction, cinematography and score come into play. In that regard, 1917 is phenomenal. Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins find a grim beauty amid the melancholy and casual horror of the war-torn European landscape. Mendes approaches the film as if it were a single take, keeping the audience tightly connected with the story. It gives every moment a sense of urgency that helps to keep the pacing from feeling repetitive.

It can’t be overstated just how impressive Deakins’ cinematography is, as the 14-time Oscar nominee frames each new sequence or location with a keen eye for detail and color. As Blake and Schofield make their way across the desolate landscape, the filmmakers find plenty of places to draw eerie beauty from the conflict. One notable sequence occurs late in the second act as the journey goes through a decimated French village at night, illuminated only by a muted fiery light that in one moment is reassuring, and in the next terrifying.

 

The film largely follows behind the heroes, less concerned with their emotional journey than with drawing the audience into the world they inhabit. It’s much more about the moments, and the momentum, than about the characters. The action plays out with a chaotic edge that keeps everything moving. But — and this is an important aspect of what makes the movie work so well — everything is so perfectly timed and choreographed that it comes together. From the tiniest movements to the biggest battles, Mendes is in complete control. While the story might not be anything special, the production is genuinely shocking in how good it is.

 

What do you think? Let us know and don’t forget to subscribe to The Nerds Take 2 YouTube channel!