An Immersive Journey

Rating: 7/10 (8 February 2020)

There is a lot to admire about 1917: The amount of detail put into all environemnts, the amount extras who elevate the atmosphere with their human touch, the way a flare can be seen falling after it was fired away from camera and off-screen, and the way Schofield bumps into charging soliders in his rush to prevent the attack. While not "gritty" the film is certainly grounded, which is a must for all good war films.
However, 1917 is not without fault. Despite having an intriguing opening and tense finale, the second act of the film goes on to drag a little. For instance the scene where Schofield encounters a french woman and her baby is, while touching, ultimately meaningless as it does nothing but act as filler. The action in this segment of the film feels quite cartoonish too, with Schofield dodging more bullets than James Bond during Pierce Bresnan's reign. The poor aim of the Germans makes for a tenseless second-act, because Scofield's plot armour is impenetrable.
So if you're going in looking for a war film with plenty of good action and decent pacing then you might be disapointed. But this film makes up for many of it's flaws through good dialogue writing, which really immerses the audience in this brilliantly realised world, and the performsnces of just about every actor involved.
Overall I found more to enjoy about this movie than to critisise, so I would recommend you watch it. It's moving, well shot, written and acted and so certainly stands worthy of some of its oscar nominations.