Astonishing

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2020)

Where to begin? Perhaps the magnificent performances, the superb editing, the chilling score? All worthy contenders, however I must start with the cinematography. Wow. The whole film seamlessly transitions from one area to the next looking like one extended shot, apart from one prolonged cut a little over half way through. The camera soars and dips, making circles around the action, following the soldiers through the trenches and swerving around walls. It's an exceptional piece of cinema that immerses you in the picture, never feeling like a cheap gimmick.
Apart from this, it's just a damn good war movie full of emotion and not shying away from the horrors of war. People die. People are wounded. As a Lieutenant sarcastically remarks early on, "Nothing like a scrap of ribbon to cheer up a widow." We experience a fragment of the war with our main characters, carried by a stand out performance by George MacKay. We feel what he's feeling and feel immense sympathy for him throughout. As well as MacKay, Richard Madden takes over the screen in his brief appearance.
Sam Mendes manages to craft scenes so tense and full of suspense (aided by a terrific score) that they wouldn't feel out of place in a great horror movie and it fits the tone perfectly. In the middle of all of this, there are also scenes of beauty that show humans at their best. A group of people pushing a car out of the mud may seem relatively insignificant but it leaves a lasting impression. There's also a wonderful scene between MacKay and a French woman. 1917 is a film that's both haunting and poignant while being expertly crafted.