A masterclass of cinematography and direction

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2020)

1917 is a visual masterpiece and perhaps one of the best big screen experiences I've had (it probably helps that I saw this at the BFI IMAX). 1917 lays bare the brutality and horror of war in a way I've rarely seen before, creating some incredibly moving and powerful cinema.
A great deal of this praise is due to the technical prowess of the film. The decision to phrase this film as one take created a ticking time bomb feel a cultivated a real closeness with the characters. It truly felt like we were on this journey with Blake and Schofield, experiencing the horror and tension alongside them.
The way that the film flips from eerie quiet to panic and chaos was masterful. I was never quite sure what would be coming next, echoing the unknown adventure that both men embarked on.
Mendes' crowning glory in his career has to be the final 20 minutes of this film. Him and Deakins produced a truly stunning shot as Schofield ran across the line, perhaps one of the most visual stunning and emotional shots I've seen. I was so moved by the final 20 minutes of the film as the futility of war was presented so expertly.
1917, while perhaps a little thin on plot and script is an incredibly moving and powerfil portrayal of war. Mendes' direction and Deakins' cinematography were some of the best you'll see, making 1917 the finest WWI movie I've ever seen.