A one-shot epic

Rating: 9/10 (2 May 2020)

This review contains spoilers.
1917 is a war movie that was directed by Sam Mendes. The movie is written by Sam Mendes, and Krysty Wilson-Cairns. The movie stars George MacKay, and Dean-Charles Chapman as two lance corporals in the British army that are sent to deliver a message across enemy lines.
1917 is an incredibly simple story. The story follows two lance corporals that are assigned a mission to deliver a message across enemy lines. The movie immediately begins with the two lance corporals as they awaken to the mission. Lance Corporal Blake has a brother in the second Devonshire battalion that is going over the top in the morning and assaulting the enemy lines. The two lance corporals race against time to deliver the message and prevent the attack from taking place. The story is not the main focus here as the story is incredibly basic without many twists and turns. The story is appropriate to the movie as the audience does feel the panic of the main characters as they are trying to overcome the time crunch.
The casting of this movie is excellent. Both George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman do a great job in their roles as the messengers. George MacKay deserves praise for carrying a stoic performance as he is plucked for a hellish mission. The movie uses George MacKay astoundingly as he has to navigate through enemy territory in a race against time to save the second Devonshire battalion. Dean-Charles Chapman did a good job for much of the movie until his character's death. The death scene is incredibly haunting as Schofield, played by George MacKay, has to deal with the death of his friend and uncertainty around his chances of succeeding in the mission.
The music and cinematography of this movie is bewildering. The music and cinematography work together in such a way as to create an invested experience for the audience. The use of a one-shot directing style did not feel like a gimmick. The one-shot style added to the experience as the directing showed the realities of trench warfare that Lance Corporal Schofield and Lance Corporal Blake had to endure. The audience also followed the journey of these two as they had to cross into enemy territory at risk of danger from the environment and German soldiers. The one-shot style is done in a way that will dazzle the eyes and senses. Of note is the scene in the ruins at night where Schofield has to run through the ruins in order to reach the second Devonshire battalion. This scene is impressive in the execution as flares were constantly fired into the air to reveal any presence in the ruins. This along with the soundtrack created a foreboding sense of tension that at any moment Schofield could have been hit by a bullet.
I highly recommend '1917'. This is one of the best war movies and one of the best movies in the 2010-2019 decade.
Grade: A