Review: 1917
Cinema is a powerful medium. The power of artistry sometimes leaves us in awe of it's accomplishments. 1917 was one of the most anticipated movie of last year. The reunion of Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins for a war subject was intriguing enough for movie goers to look forward to it with much thrill and expectancy.
The year is 1917 and the world war I is approaching it's apogee. The British and the Germans are fighting on the French front. With an incredible amount of inspired persistence, the British army - their second battalion, forces the Germans to retreat miles away from their initial line. Colonel McKenzie, the head of the regiment, finds it as the perfect opportunity to finish off an German army who are already on the run, and issues an attack at the dawn. Little did he know, that the retreat was an intelligent move from their German counterparts to invite the British to march right into their traps. Time was already ticking off by the time the intelligence informs General Erinmore of the grave danger awaiting the fate of not less than 1600 British soldiers. Two young corporals, William Schofield and Tom Blake, whose brother is among the men who were preparing to attack the Germans at the line, were handed with the duty to carry the message across to the ignorant regiment, of the ambush awaiting them and to request Colonel McKenzie to call off the attack. But, the two men have to pass through the seemingly abandoned trenches and many life threatening dangers at those trenches, it they are to make it and save the lives of thousands of their fellow countrymen.
The movie is a dream and nightmare for any actor, director and cinematographer. As if the challenge of making a war movie was not testing enough, Mendes decided to shoot the movie in lengthy - very lengthy long shots. They are so brilliantly done, that it is almost impossible to find out where the edit chips in and the whole movie gives us the feeling of a single shot movie, in real time. The challenge was supremely accepted by Roger Deakins. It is very difficult to capture all the details while having a long shot with a moving camera following someone, but Mendes and Deakins has created magic by their superlative planning and creation of the sets, supported exceptionally by the actors involved.
It is impossible to not to put much notice on the movement of the camera, and while Deakins has done a great job, it should also be noted how much the background score by Thomas Newman, has contributed to the success of those incredible shots. Together, they keep us on the edge of our seats for the most part, reliving the horrors of a war.
The release of the movie could not have timed more perfectly, aligning with the present chaos going on across the globe and while the mankind is in danger of another looming war cry. Wars are never a glorious matter and at the end of the day, mankind will be at the loss and we may never ever recover from another bloodshed of such magnitude. Cinema is a powerful medium which has its reach across the millions. While the message is reminded time and time again, it is time for those who inhabits the real power to save the mankind before wiping ourselves off forever.
1917 is a reminder to 2020! Of it's artistry, creativity and the importance of us learning from our history.
The year is 1917 and the world war I is approaching it's apogee. The British and the Germans are fighting on the French front. With an incredible amount of inspired persistence, the British army - their second battalion, forces the Germans to retreat miles away from their initial line. Colonel McKenzie, the head of the regiment, finds it as the perfect opportunity to finish off an German army who are already on the run, and issues an attack at the dawn. Little did he know, that the retreat was an intelligent move from their German counterparts to invite the British to march right into their traps. Time was already ticking off by the time the intelligence informs General Erinmore of the grave danger awaiting the fate of not less than 1600 British soldiers. Two young corporals, William Schofield and Tom Blake, whose brother is among the men who were preparing to attack the Germans at the line, were handed with the duty to carry the message across to the ignorant regiment, of the ambush awaiting them and to request Colonel McKenzie to call off the attack. But, the two men have to pass through the seemingly abandoned trenches and many life threatening dangers at those trenches, it they are to make it and save the lives of thousands of their fellow countrymen.
The movie is a dream and nightmare for any actor, director and cinematographer. As if the challenge of making a war movie was not testing enough, Mendes decided to shoot the movie in lengthy - very lengthy long shots. They are so brilliantly done, that it is almost impossible to find out where the edit chips in and the whole movie gives us the feeling of a single shot movie, in real time. The challenge was supremely accepted by Roger Deakins. It is very difficult to capture all the details while having a long shot with a moving camera following someone, but Mendes and Deakins has created magic by their superlative planning and creation of the sets, supported exceptionally by the actors involved.
It is impossible to not to put much notice on the movement of the camera, and while Deakins has done a great job, it should also be noted how much the background score by Thomas Newman, has contributed to the success of those incredible shots. Together, they keep us on the edge of our seats for the most part, reliving the horrors of a war.
The release of the movie could not have timed more perfectly, aligning with the present chaos going on across the globe and while the mankind is in danger of another looming war cry. Wars are never a glorious matter and at the end of the day, mankind will be at the loss and we may never ever recover from another bloodshed of such magnitude. Cinema is a powerful medium which has its reach across the millions. While the message is reminded time and time again, it is time for those who inhabits the real power to save the mankind before wiping ourselves off forever.
1917 is a reminder to 2020! Of it's artistry, creativity and the importance of us learning from our history.
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