1917: A War Epic Worth the Wait?
One of the pillars of filmmaking is the war drama. It’s practically a genre in and of itself. With so much to mine from already, it’s hard to reinvent the wheel. There’s too many to count and it’s an accomplishment, as a director, if yours stands out. Sam Mendes does just that with his new World War I drama, 1917.
What Mendes does so brilliantly in 1917 is how he achieves a level of gritty realism that I’m not sure many other war films can stand up to. The film is unrelenting in that sense. The cruel, discombobulated, and unforgiving nature of World War I is definitely the perfect canvas to dive into with this type of filmmaking. Mendes’ depiction of wounded soldiers, rotting corpses, and desolated landscapes all feel extremely raw and true to life. These elements, for some reason, come off as different from other similar movies.
The two biggest contributors being the sound design and shooting style of the film. For those who are unaware, 1917 plays out as if it were filmed as one continuous shot. With such long, drawn-out shots of soldiers rapidly pacing through the trenches, you, as the viewer, experience tension, claustrophobia, and anxiety all at once. Mendes, however, makes sure to also have just enough moments where he slows down the action and gives you the chance to get to know and grieve with the characters on-screen.
The sound design only enhances this duality. It really puts focus on the bombs, bullets, and chaos when it needs to and pulls itself back at the right, more emotional moments, allowing the score to takeover. Speaking of which, Thomas Newman’s music is undeniably some of the best of the year and is sure to at least get him another Oscar nomination.
The other major technical marvel of 1917 is the cinematography. Once you hear the name Roger Deakins, you know its sure to be a stand out of the film. However, as someone who is often unable to appreciate the discipline as much as I’d like, I even couldn’t help but look at awe at some of the shots in this film. There’s a particular sequence with a church surrounded in fire that looked absolutely gorgeous. It feels almost dream-like and is equal parts horrific and beautiful all at the same time.
1917 absolutely delivers on what it sets out to do. As long as you’re prepared for the less conventional, one-shot style of filmmaking which this movie has, there’s something for everyone to appreciate. It’s a film that I need to sit with more and think about before I determine exactly where it ranks for me. All I know, is it swings for the fences and delivers a powerful punch to the gut.
