A Triumph of a Tragedy "Lest We Forget "

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2020)

My Review- 1917 my Rating 10/10. NO SPOILERS other than what's in the trailer.
I'm amazed that I'm giving a film of my least favourite genre a perfect score but I think Sam Mendez and Krystal Wilson -Cairns who co wrote 1917 with Sam Mendez have had the final say on the futility of War and have done both their Grandfathers proud.
Both Wilson and Mendes separately say they want the film to act as a corrective to a repackaging of the war in the service of jingoistic isolationism. "People who are attached to some sort of nostalgic vision treat these wars retrospectively as triumphs," says Mendes. "In fact, they were tragedies.
"That kind of hijacking of shared cultural memories and pride is very subtle, and very easy to do. At the moment, it happens all the time. 'We're going back to being on our own again! This is the spirit that fought two world wars!' That's what we're now lumbered with."
1917 definitely is a Tragedy and I think possibly two reasons why this relatively simple story succeeds is that it's shot brilliantly in a group of single takes that have been seamlessly edited together to appear as one long take to create the impression that it's unfolding in real time . Also because co writer Krysty Wilson - Cairns unique feminine perspective has contributed an emphasis on the emotional impact . I'm sure it's her influence that helps humanise the personal sacrifice and bravery of these young men who by an accident of birth were born into an era when an entire generation on both sides was erased from the face of the earth between 1914 and 1918.
Only the human race is capable of such barbaric behaviour through the ages in the pursuit of power, territorial supremacy and hate and it's still happening today.
Sam Mendes of course we know is a great Director and has dedicated this fine film to his Grandfather famed West Indian writer Alfred H. Mendes who served in the 1st Rifle Brigade, and fought for two years in Flanders, along the Belgian Front, and was awarded a Military Medal for distinguishing himself on the battlefield. Towards the end of the war, he accidentally inhaled the poisonous gas used as a weapon by the German army, and was sent back to Britain to recover.
The end credits simply say Dedicated to my Grandfather Alfred H. Mendes "who told us the stories " after five decades of silence when Sam Mendes asked him to tell him about the War his Grandfather was in his mid 70's he lived to be 94 years old.
Sam Mendes won his first Academy Award in 2000 for the superb movie American Beauty his other great films include Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, SkyFall , Spectre, Little Voice and Jarhead plus many great stage productions . I predict after his Golden Globe wins for Best Director and Best Movie this week that he is assured of at least 2 more Academy Awards plus the film will be awarded a host of technical awards for "1917 "as the lighting, camera work ,editing and sets are extraordinary.
The acting performances of course are all exceptional especially the two young stars
Dean- Charles Chapman as Lance Corporal Blake and George MacKay as Lance Corporal Schofield who set off on an impossible mission to deliver an order to the Captain of The Devonshire regiment to call off their planned attack and avoid an ambush that will cause the deaths of 2000 men including Corporal Blake's brother.
Top name Stars Colin Firth , David Mays and Benedict Cumberbatch have relatively small roles but add their fine stamp of quality performance to the film.
1917 is at times painful and upsetting to watch it's not because of the gory battle scenes with heads being looped off or blood and guts everywhere it's more the result and cruel horrific aftermath of these battles the corpses the dead horses, and the destruction of war, it's all necessary for this film to have the impact it does have.
The score by Thomas Newman son of the famous film score composer Alfred Newman is superb at times it's just a long continuous drone but elegiac in atmosphere. It reminded me of a Mahler symphony especially in the magnificent shadow and fire scenes of the burning French Village Corporal Schofield passes through on his mission. In a totally different way that scene reminded me of Sam Mende's other iconic beautiful moment in American Beauty of leaves whirling around in a wind tunnel I know It may sound odd but along with the ugly scenes of war 1917 has some beautiful moments.
The film affected me personally because of my own Maternal Grandfather Herbert V Fortescue who I never knew and also fought in that war in France and who also was sent back to England to recover from poisoning by gas. I have his War Service record and 2 poignant letters one enquiring of his whereabouts by a lady who obviously cared about him and the other written by his father written in 1917 just 2 months before this film is set requesting any information regarding his son to be forwarded to his new address they put a human touch to the list of dates and battles mentioned in his service record.
I've always boycotted most War films ( I did see the wonderful Australian film Danger Close The Battle of Long Tan earlier this year ) like Saving Private Ryan which I acknowledge may be the finest War Movie up to this time but 1917 in a year where there have been so many exceptional films like Joker, Little Women ,Once Upon A Time in America , The Two Popes ,Rocketman Ford v Ferrari etc 1917 stands out to me as the best as it will be a classic for ages to come to some up in 3 words Lest We Forget..