The pity of war

Rating: 9/10 (16 January 2020)

This fine film's title made me think immediately of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele. That, however, was fought between 31 July and 6 November 1917, whereas the film is set on 6 April. 1917 draws upon the memories of the director Sir Sam Mendes's grandfather and was designed, remarkably, to look like one continuous shot.
The two central characters, Lance-Corporals Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Will Schofield (George McKay), go on a desperate mission. This lasts one day, and certainly feels like it, and they're exposed to the full horror of World War 1. There's also a devastating tragedy along the way.
Together with the horror, I think, there's pathos. I was reminded of the words of the great WW1 poet Wilfred Owen, "My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity." This is partly reflected in the film's central theme of devotion to duty, based on absolute obedience to orders - even when a high-ranking officer tells Will to "f off" (I'd say that's one of the most shocking moments in the film).
There's some underlying pathos too in the camaraderie between most of the young soldiers. Of course we know now that the great majority had to make the ultimate sacrifice, so the pathos is self-evident. They couldn't have known that, though, and we see that they're generally innocently good-natured and quick to help their comrades. Tom and Will clash at times but essentially they have a strong bond of friendship.
Pity and horror are combined when soldiers are shot dead on sight simply for being identified as "the enemy". Some words from Wilfred Owen's poem "Strange Meeting" come to mind: "I am the enemy you killed, my friend. /I knew you in this dark: for so you frowned/Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed." This is even more poignant as Owen himself was killed one week before the Armistice.
This film is deeply impressive and has, I think, no major faults. There are just some "arty" effects of flashing colours and some insistent background music. It also has touches of an action movie in which heroism triumphs against the most overwhelming odds. This is redeemed by the desperate seriousness of the mission at the heart of the film.
It was clever to give cameo roles to a few star actors, including Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Richard Madden. Nicholas Hytner had already done the same in "The Lady in the Van", redeploying stars from the stage and screen versions of "The History Boys".