Enjoyable but unbelievable

Rating: 6/10 (7 February 2020)

As a war film connoisseur this one will not make my top list. I've read reviews that say this is a visceral and edgy depiction of trench warfare yet there are hardly any scenes of actual trench warfare. So a bit confusing. Some of the scenes are indeed rather unbelievable and far fetched, particularly when the lone soldier encounters a drunken and young German soldier the former of which raises the alarm. I'm sure if you've just strangled and killed one human, killing another rather than bringing the whole German army down on you wouldn't come as much of a hard decision as opposed to running and somehow dodging countless bullets.
I haven't investigated any historical facts of this event, even if there are any. I don't think Sam Mendes' goal was historical accuracy.
I have many family members serving and ex-servicemen and women, I personally have never served. I think everyone will have a different perspective. We'll never hear the voices of these people because they're all dead and can only guess at their reality from diaries and letters.
Cinematography is beautiful, with long expansive shots, deep and rich colouring and stark contrasts. Their uniforms are in surprisingly good condition.
Anyway, it is worth watching, but for me not keeping.