Film Review: 1917 (2019): An Immersive Suspenseful War Film That Hits Every Emotion

1917 Review

1917 (2019) Film Review, a movie directed by Sam Mendes, and starring George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Before We Begin…

The epic war blockbuster 1917 came out in theaters months ago, has earned $347,231,318 worldwide and has since been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The awards show is over and the Sam Mendes film lost to Parasite, so why are we still reviewing and writing about it? Because if you’re one of the few who have not seen this movie, this is a reminder that you are missing a cinematic gem and a storytelling masterpiece filled with emotion and intensity unlike anything I’ve watched lately. And I am not a fan of war films. But it is a war film that I will rave about.

The Review

Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins bring an absolutely immersive experience to the screen, shooting this 119-minute film by making it look as if it was just one continuous shot. This means no back and forth shots between talking heads. Although not the first director who has filmed a movie in this manner — Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first — just knowing this film used this technique captivated me as a movie lover from the first scene. 

1917 follows a pair of young soldiers (played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) who are trying to deliver an urgent message to stop an attack on the Germans during World War I because it’s a trap. If the attack gets carried out more than 1600 soldiers will die, including the brother of one of the soldiers carrying the message. The clock starts ticking almost minutes into the movie, which increases the emotional intensity of the film. 

We are taken on the journey with the soldiers, through bunkers and watery pits filled with decomposing bodies. We feel their eagerness as they have to make their deadline with many lives at stake. There are traps and obstacles around almost every corner. As they walk and search the grounds for enemies who are ready to take them down with one shot, we can almost feel them breathing hard because so are we. 

1917 makes you jump, wince and cry. In today’s world where foreign relations are tense and the concept of another world war is getting closer to reality than it is just a concept, the film seems all too real. But the suspense and the storytelling, combined with nontraditional film-making techniques, make this movie a must-see. 

Rating: 9/10

Closing Aside

FYI, Roger Deakins won Best Cinematography for 1917 at this year’s Academy Awards and deservedly so. If you have time and are into how movies are made, search the making of 1917 on YouTube. It’s mind-blowing. 

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