Prepare For War

Rating: 9/10 (12 January 2020)

LIKES:
Acting
The Frontier
Deep Messages And Emotion
Artistic
Decent Pace For Most Of The Movie
Realistic Fighting
Cinematography
DISLIKES:
Not For The Faint Of Heart
Missing Some Action Components
The Middle Of the Movie's Approach
A Little Dense

SUMMARY:
When it comes to a focus on British history and acting, there is always class injected into the presentation of the movie. In this war movie, that same focus has been curtailed to present the familiar concept of war into a new light. For one thing, this movie is much more about the acting compared to other battle ballads. Chapman and MacKay are fantastic in bringing the young cadets lives to bay, acting as the mirror to Britain's involvement in the war. The turmoil, the dedication, the friendship, and even the courage to face potential death are portrayed beautifully to cover the wide range of emotions involved with serving in the first great war. While we have seen great performances bringing out the nightmare that is war though, 1917 manages to bring a new way of telling the story through the frontier itself. The harsh landscapes, destroyed villages, and lighting are all coordinated to provide the true menace of the war and that beast is often scarier than the fighting itself. Like a Quiet Place, it's the silent nature of the vast landscape that adds the true emotional tensions. And as it all progresses the movie continues to show that artistic approach of capturing all the deep messages, emotion, and angles that come with war. I can't say much to minimize spoilers, but let's just say the mission to deliver the messages changes face and approach various times to display one of the most dynamic approaches to war theater dramas. This even bleeds over into the few fights that show up, trading the flashy Michael Bay sequences for simpler battles that rely on strategy, timing, and fewer shots. It may not be the most jaw dropping battles to date, but it fits so well into the presentation that it adds to that deadliness this film is showing. Finally, the real star is the cinematography. The specials did not lie, the movie is shot beautifully, an almost seemingly continuous shot that immerses you into the experience. You will feel a part of the brigade to deliver the message, and as a result you'll get the full amount of terror, intensity, and other components that they directors wanted, and it's all done with stable camerawork.
Yet, this opera also has a few things that did not quite work for me, that while not worth too many point deductions was worth mentioning. First it's not for the faint of heart, as the saying of war is hell is true, those with weak stomach may not handle a few things that are displayed. I can't say much, but just picture the worst part of war and get yourself prepared, a few of which were a little too drawn out for my tastes. Past that warning though, the action junkie in me wanted a little more bang for the buck. I get the realistic approach they were taking, but a little more combat and coordination would have helped spice some things up for me and get the pace moving. While artistic and realistic, I can't lie that the movie is rather dense, relying so much on visuals that it leads to a slower paced war tale. Again, this keeps in time with the artistic nature, but there were some slower parts that had me battling to remain conscious. And when the movie hits about the middle of the film, the dynamic they take sort of uproots what the trailers promised. It's not a bad twist at all and really captivates on the experience of war, but it's just not what I had intended to see.
The VERDICT:
The rumors about this movie are true, it's an amazing display of war visualization that was able to break free from the traditional war story movie. British acting alongside award winning cinematography are the key components for this film, setting the screen for that wild war frontier where emotions run wilder than the bullets from guns. True, I would have liked a little more war sequences and excitement, and I could have done with a little less dense dialogue, but overall it's a solid movie and worthy of the praise. Again, not for the faint of heart at times, but this reviewer encourages to catch this one in theaters when you can.
My scores are:
Drama/War: 9.0
Movie Overall: 8.5