1917

This review may contain spoilers!

This film is a perilous journey that the audience is drawn into just as much as the characters. I would give 1917 an 8.5/10.

1917 follows two young British soldiers as they desperately navigate behind enemy territory in order to save a regiment of allied forces from marching into a high casualty trap set by German forces. In a manner of speaking the plot is relatively simple, yet it thrives off this by framing the storyline as an experience for the audience too. 1917 is a no holds barred journey into danger, in which the main protagonists must travel throughout a treacherous landscape and face enemy traps and soldiers in their desperate bid to stop the attack and save Lance Corporal Blake's older brother. The film handles the magnitude of this mission rather well, the stretch of empty landscape our heroes navigate feel treacherous and indefensible, then the action transitions to a setting that is claustrophobic and suffocating just to drive home the point. The characters very scarcely feel safe and as such you are on the edge of your seat, tense and alert throughout. The cinematography for the film has a heavy hand in what makes it such a worthwhile experience, numerous long shots that stay with the protagonists and the surrounding action immerse you entirely into the film so that you become embroiled in the action. The editing is a huge aid to the fine camerawork, offering seamless transitions from shot to shot and crafting a near perfect illusion that the film was entirely done in a single take. The score for 1917 is a macabre mix of haunting, tension-building melody and intense pulse-pounding tempo when the action picks you; it complements every scene perfectly.

Dean-Charles Chapman, who played Lance Corporal Blake, is a really interesting introductory protagonist; Chapman is a more reckless leading man and takes risks in dangerous situations with the best of intentions. Colin Firth, who played General Erinmore, works well as the stoic top of the chain; Firth balances his scene out with great solemnity as he imparts the gravity of the mission parameters. Andrew Scott, who played Lieutenant Leslie, has a harsh resistance to his duty and seems to have a truly honest outlook towards the ravaged landscape about him; Scott plays to the hopelessness of war very well and is one of the more interesting pessimistic characters. Mark Strong, who played Captain Smith, is a stony man of duty with an insightful view of how the war machine operates; Strong is perfect as a military officer and works well as a minor confidant to MacKay's character. Claire Duburcq, who played Lauri, is a tender moment in amongst the dangerous action of the film; her careful plea for safety and family over conflict is an important message worth hearing. Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Colonel MacKenzie, is a very interestin role who almost appears as an antagonist for the feature; Cumberbatch's cold compliance and harsh view towards the necessity of war marks him as one of the true villains of the piece and an absolutely fascinating role.

However the best performance came from George MacKay and Richard Madden, who played Lance Corporal Schofield and Lieutenant Joseph Blake respectively. Normally I don't have multiple actors in this spot but this film was defined by MacKay's singular performance while Madden accomplished in his scene what I feel few members of the cast came close to achieving. MacKay has come a long way from his standout performance in Pride, the last feature I watched him in. This role is extremely exasperated at first, he has no great desire to be dragged into the mission and he grows increasingly frustrated at the impossibility of the task laid out before him. Yet after an incredibly gut-wrenching and realistic moment of grief and loss this role goes through a steadfast transition that changes his outlook entirely. The hardened determination you see in MacKay now is inexhaustible, his role consistently throws himself against obstacles or past them and he is unrelenting until he accomplishes everything he promised to achieve. The calming moment of reflection and recollection at the end of the movie is just the nice touch you can expect this actor to pull off well. Madden's role on the other hand centres on a powerful moment in which he is informed about the loss of a family member. Up until this point Madden has this resolute guise of a leader of men who is extremely capable at being a leader. The moment in which he learns of his brother's death is a moving moment in which he has a very real moment of grief in front of a fellow soldier. It's just a short scene but it's one of the best moments in the feature.

1917 does suffer from moments between high points of tension, not always filling out scenes inbetween with the most important content. Watching a lot of the offbeat scenes in which quick-flying empty dialogue is exchanged and little value is added meant the film had minor slumps where it wasn't really achieving much and seemed content with riding things out to the next moment of conflict or tension. Compromising on pace seemed like a good idea but I certainly feel moments between the action could have been enhanced somewhat.