Movie Review: 1917

There are countless war movies in existence. Not all of them are worth your time, but “1917” is. 

“1917” takes place during World War 1, and is based on the tory of two British soldiers who have to cross German territory to deliver a message that will stop a fatal attack. 

The astounding cinematography is what separates this film from the rest. The movie was one shot; which means the scenes had no cuts, making the scenes 6-8 minutes long. The point of this is to create the anxious and intense mood that the soldiers are feeling themselves.

 Because there were limited cuts, every element had to be perfect. Almost a year before filming began the crew had to go to the scene locations and do runthrough until it was flawless.

 One can rehearse all they want, but mistakes are bound to be made. Luckily, the biggest mistake made the best shot of the movie.

During the climax, actor George MacKay, playing Schofield, has to run across the battlefield to finally hand over the dire message. It was supposed to be a straight shot for MacKay, but he ended up running into multiple extras. This mistake ended up making the final cut because of its authenticity and reality that war is chaotic. 

Although one shot movies have been made before, 1917 brings it to a different level. 

Those watching is able to feel the panic and emotions that the main characters feel, even the characters in the background. You even feel for the German soldiers because they are not seen as evil people, but normal individuals who are sadly put into this position. 

Warning; this movie can be gory. The gore is needed to site the realities of war; without it, the movie would not be sending the message it is meant to send.

This film incites complete fear, uneasiness, and restlessness. 

Whether you like cinematography, war films, or both, 1917 is a tremendous film to simply watch or critically analyze.

Watch trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqNYrYUiMfg