The Age of ‘1917’

War movies are usually fantastical works of special effects and over-the-top violent action, but ‘1917’ uses a whole other approach.

Set during World War I, the film is told from the viewpoint of two British soldiers who are on an important mission to deliver a message to a distant, cut-off company. The overall objective lies in saving life to fight another day.

Secondary to this mission, is the fact that one of the soldiers, corporal Blake played by Dean Charles Chapman, has a brother in that company as well. And he would like to rescue his brother from certain death.

To the viewer, it would seem that the story revolves around Blake, as a lot of the focus in the beginning centres on him. This is a well-placed tactic by director Sam Mendes, as the real protagonist is in actual fact corporal Schofield, played by George MacKay.

The main impressive attribute of the movie is that everything happens within a day as the viewer follows the timeline and intricate fears that suddenly spring up when the two encounter a potential risk.

There is an embarrassment of talent in this production; surprisingly all of them feature in cameo roles throughout the story. You start with Colin Firth as the ranking general Erinmore, Benedict Cumberbatch as colonel MacKenzie, Mark Strong as the helping hand captain Smith and ‘Game of Thrones’ star Richard Madden as the brother, lieutenant Blake.

What will be most impressive to any film buff is the manner in which the camerawork is done. There are scenes that are so intriguing, you keep wondering when the disaster is going to happen, keeping you mesmerised at the immense destruction and conflict.

There is one scene that will make any person cringe – corporal Schofield jumps into a blast crater that is filled with dead bodies. This shocks him at first, because of the rats that feed on the bodies, and his partner bumps into him, which forces him to place a hand through one of the corpses.

Many war movie fanatics always try to compare similar movies, but you cannot compare one director with another. You had iconic movies such as ‘Platoon’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’ in the 1980s, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘The Thin Red Line’ in the 1990s; and ‘Black Hawk Down’ and ‘Enemy at the Gates’ in the 2000s. ‘1917’ is building up to be a quiet classic of the new decade.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, ‘1917’ took home three Oscars, for best cinematography, sound mixing and visual effects.

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