The Best WWI Film

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2020)

Sam Mendes' 1917 is a masterclass of filmmaking. With an Oscar-winning director and every famous British actor in smaller roles, 1917 does something unprecedented in a genre filled with masterpieces. It manages to tell a fresh story with breathtaking bravura. Featuring impeccably executed tracking shots, amazing soundtrack and beautiful cinematography - courtesy of the legendary Roger Deakins - 1917 stands as arguably the best World War I film, as well as one of the best war films ever made.
The element that makes this film so unique is the long tracking shots. The film is made to look like one continuous take. Thanks to modern CGI, there are unnoticeable cuts in the film. But the execution of the film cannot be understated. The long takes, the authenticity, and practical sets add so much realism and intensity to the story that they make every frame immensely gripping. Never has there been a film about war, with such incredible and ambitious camerawork like 1917. Films exist to show, not tell, what an experience would be like. They emphasize tricking the audience for a split second, making them think they are there too. 1917 manifests this near perfectly.
A drawback to the tracking shot format is that it does not capture the whole scope of battle. The format makes the audience's vision into this world limited, albeit, that vision is still epic, and breathtaking nonetheless. A film that showcases a truly epic scope with edits to multiple camera angles is Dunkirk. Though that film would have felt more complete if CGI was used to enhance the background and further surroundings. The only real complaint is during the night city sequence, George Mackay's character is running from German gunfire. He zigzags and evades bullets. The aim of the German soldiers is unrealistically bad. Perhaps a case of stormtrooper aim, but in a film so dead set on authenticity and realism, this did require a suspension of disbelief, if only for a brief moment.
Two scenes that illustrate the power of the filmmaking craft are the night window scene, and the running scene. These two scenes showcase that transportive and magical feeling that the cinema can provide. The night window scene features beautiful cinematography, breathtaking visuals, and an amazing score. When those three things come perfectly together, an operatic sensationalism floods the screen. The running scene may be the most epic running in cinematic history. Yes, even better than Forrest Gump and Tom Cruise. The build-up to the running felt as realistic as the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan. These were two truly magical scenes.
1917 is movie magic. It captures the thrilling, intense, and awe-inspiring resplendent of war. It truly felt like we the audience were in this moment. 1917 is more than a gimmick, but a powerhouse of filmmaking and raw visceral power.