A gruelling war, adventure that balances action with great performances.

Rating: 9/10 (16 January 2020)

1917 is a truly riveting war movie about a messenger who has to brave through enemy lines to deliver a message. The plot sounds boring, but being a war movie, you can expect a lot of action. The choice for long shot was good because the audience is there with the character and fully sees the world from the protagonist's point of view. This limits the visual scope and creates suspense. There are indeed many suspenseful moments. Sam Mendes brilliantly captures the grimness and unpredictability of war amidst plush scenery. Though our character is sent to prevent a rash attack by British soldiers, through the journey we can feel the exhaustion and just want our hero to escape alive and forget about the mission. The performances were great, needless to say. These are men in battle at the spur of the moment, and the time span is practically the runtime, so there is no time for detailed character exposition or development. What is seen is what you would see from a real person. Of course you may note that all British characters are decent people, even in face of death. So there is some idealization of World War 1 British soldiers. Interestingly, German soldiers are portrayed as people out there to fight, and they are human too. One even has a name. 1917 is a gruelling war adventure movie that balances action, spectacle, and drama. A definite must watch for all