One story in millions

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 2020)

I sat down in the cinema expecting a strong war film, perhaps aligned with the likes of Dunkirk - captivating but limited by its lack of character study. As the credits rolled, tears certainly did too, and I felt a true affinity with this piece of such artfully crafted cinema, widely stunning, yet intimately removed from being another Hollywood blockbuster.

The premise of this epic is relatively simple: two young soldiers are sent on a mission to warn another regiment - where one of their brothers is stationed - of an impending attack. They must reach the regiment by dawn.

What follows is not only visually remarkable with the superb cinematography of Roger Deakins, but a compelling journey that the audience is able to follow closely, owing to the film's 'one shot' style. The relatively unknown leads, Dean-Charles Chapman as Blake and George Mackay as Schofield, are similarly superb, embodying the 'everyman' nature of those who served. With the use of star British actors, such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott, in the roles of higher officers, Mendes also comments on the social divides that were present during WW1. However, the true worth of this film shines particularly through the nuanced development of Schofield, not only through Mackay's determined performance, but through what he is made to endure - an example of storytelling being pushed to attain emotional, physical, and mental heights.

1917 is certainly a journey, if anything for its constant movement where no settings are repeated, and it is ultimately marked not by a fantastic display of heroism, but rather the quiet and shockingly harsh endurance of those who fought in the Great War. 1917 could have been the story of any soldier. It is one story amongst millions, and a beautifully forceful one.