1917

Rating: 10/10 (19 January 2020)

I was excited about this upcoming war movie for the various trailers and behind-the-clips shown about two months before its release, then it was getting a lot of attention during Awards Season, so I made sure to see it on a big IMAX screen, from BAFTA and Golden Globe winning, and Oscar nominated director Sir Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Skyfall). Basically, during the First World War in April 1917, the German army has pulled back from a sector of the Western Front in the north of France. General Erinmore (Colin Firth) briefs two young British soldiers Lance Corporal, Blake (Game of Thrones' Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofield (Sunshine on Leith's George MacKay). Aerial reconnaissance has confirmed that the Germans are not retreating but have made a tactical withdrawal to their new Hindenburg Line, where they are waiting to overwhelm the attacking British with artillery. With field telephone lines cut, Blake and Schofield are ordered to hand-deliver a message to the Second Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, calling off their planned attack, which might cost the lives of 1,600 men including Blake's brother Joseph (Bodyguard's Richard Madden). Schofield and Blake cross no man's land and reach the abandoned German trenches. These turn out to contain tripwires, and a rat triggers a planted bomb. The ensuing explosion almost kills Schofield, but Blake manages to dig him out. They arrive at an abandoned farmhouse, where they witness a dogfight (an aerial battle). The German plane plunges into the farm and Schofield and Blake save the pilot from burning. Schofield proposes to mercy kill him, having severe injuries, but Blake has Schofield fetch water for the pilot. The pilot stabs Blake and is shot dead by Schofield, who comforts Blake as he dies, promising to complete the mission. Schofield is picked up by a passing British unit, led by Captain Smith (Mark Strong). A destroyed bridge near the bombed-out village, Ã‰coust-Saint-Mein, prevents lorries from crossing. So, Schofield crosses the remnants of the bridge alone. A German sniper across the river in an abandoned house tries to attack him. Schofield tracks down and kills the sniper, only to be knocked out by a ricocheting bullet. It is night when Schofield regains consciousness. He walks through the nearby ruins, when he is spotted by and fired at by a German soldier. Schofield stumbles into the hiding place of a French woman with a baby. She treats his wounds, and he gives her his canned food and his canteen filled with milk from the farm. Schofield leaves and is again spotted by two German soldiers. He strangles one and pushes the one that is too inebriated to stop him. Other soldiers chase him, but he escapes by jumping into a river. Schofield reaches the Battalion as the British attack is due to begin. He fails to stop the start of the attack, so he sprints across the battlefield, after realising that the trenches are too full of soldiers for him to make it to the commander in time. He forces his way into meeting Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) and shows the letter, and the attack is called off. Schofield then locates Joseph, who was among the first attacking wave but is unhurt, and delivers the news of Blake's death. Joseph is upset but thanks Schofield for his efforts. Schofield asks to write to Blake's mother to tell her about Blake's heroics, to which Joseph agrees. Schofield walks away and rests under a nearby tree. It ends with Schofield looking at photos of his loved ones, his two young daughters and a wife at home. Also starring Spectre's Andrew Scott as Lieutenant Leslie, Plus One's Daniel Mays as Sergeant Sanders, Killing Eve's Adrian Scarborough as Major Hepburn, Richard McCabe as Colonel Collins and Billy Postlethwaite, Pete's son as NCO Harvey. The cast are all impressive, the locations, costumes and period detail are authentic and fantastic, but it is the direction by Mendes, camerawork and choreography that deserves the most praise. Movies like Rope, Silent House, and Birdman have used the "one shot" technique, filming continuously for long periods, and making near-unnoticeable edits, apart from the obvious fade to black, it is almost impossible to spot the edits, it really plunges the viewer into brutality and horror of the war, a moving, effective and and breathlessly immersive epic war drama. It won the Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Original Screenplay for Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Music (Original Score) for Thomas Newman, and Best Sound Editing, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film, Outstanding British Film of the Year, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Special Visual Effects, and it was nominated for Original Music, and Best Make Up/Hair, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama, and it was nominated Best Original Score. Outstanding!