A Technical Achievement In Film Making

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2020)

Sam Mendes is one of my favourite directors working today so that alone made me excited for 1917. That excitement only increased after the one-shot approach was announced. The coming together of this Director, approach, setting and Cinematographer convinced me this film was going to be something special and i truly could not have loved it more. I truly believe this film will be remembered as a landmark in film making and I cannot wait to see it again.
Technically speaking this film is jaw dropping. The one shot approach never feels tedious or over done but instead completely immersive. Because of this, the tension is only exploited more. It truly feels like a 3 man mission, with the viewer feeling like the 3rd person in this mission. This is due to Sam Mendes gorgeous direction but also Roger Deakins spectacular cinematography. His work in this film is truly stunning no matter what setting the film takes, he truly deserves his second Oscar for this film and cannot see the academy not giving it to him.
George MacKay And Dean-Charles Chapman both carry this movie wonderfully, I've seen other work from both actors before but this is truly the best I've ever seen both of them. Their chemistry is on point and there are plenty of subtle moments that build their characters. I truly hope to see more from both of them in the future. The rest of the Supporting cast play fairly small roles but all worked perfectly for what they needed to achieve. Richard Madden And Benedict Cumberbatch probably stand out the most as they both come into play at the end of the film and pay off in what we were expecting to see from them.
I truly loved how this film portrayed its setting. It doesn't feel like it conforms to the usual cliches found in other war films. It conveys the horrible conditions of war and the constant fear of death in ways I haven't seen enough from other films of this type. I found myself latching onto the characters because the writing had made them so human and relatable. As cheesy as it sounds you do truly feel like a participant in this war during the 2 hours you spend with these characters.
1917 is a masterpiece and very possible the best film of 2019. Mendes' one-shot, vision is truly realised to perfect effect and feels immersive like no other film before it. Roger Deakins stunning work in this film truly makes it feel as if no one else could have pulled of the cinematography to this level of perfection. The films gives us just enough character development to care about everyone involved. The film puts you into World War One for the 2 hours it has you and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
10/10 - A+ (Incredible)