Not just a movie, but an experience

Rating: 9/10 (16 January 2020)

This film is easily the most immersive movie I have seen all year. From the time the title card was displayed until the time the credits rolled, I was totally enthralled by the events of the film. 1917 had me on the edge of my seat for 2 hours straight and left me feeling as if I had just endured the events firsthand.
Storytelling - 1917 was basically 2 hours of great decision-making. The film drops the viewer off at the best possible moment so that we truly feel as if we are in the situation. This is a feeling that, although established immediately, lingers for the entirety of the film's runtime. Every emotion that the characters felt throughout the movie-dress, fear, despair, triumph, anger- I felt right alongside them. The film strays far from the formula typical to most movies, causing a pervasive sensation unpredictability and fear. Overall, while the story was limited in its scope by the fact that it was almost actual-time, it soars through its unique style and extreme realism. 9/10
Acting - The acting in this film is truly masterful. The two leads did a fantastic job of portraying their characters in manner that helped the audience sympathize with them almost immediately. Certain sequences required the actors convey a wide variety of emotion using nothing but their facial expressions. Once again, the film moves at such a pace that it is very hard for the actors to slow down and really explore deeper emotions, but the still played their parts expertly. 9/10
Script - 1917 has considerably less dialogue than many films that came out this year. This kept it from being as deep as other films, and yet, like all the other categories, it worked fantastically for the film. There were definitely hints of depth and history between certain characters found in the lines, and I cannot complain on any level. 9/10
Characters - This is where the film was impacted most by the frenetic pace. It was very rare that the two leads were not in an extremely tense, life-threatening situation which made it very hard to delve into their characters and understand more about them. It's hard to truly complain about the characters, but they certainly were not as well-explored as some other films. It worked great for the film, but I still feel as if I should maintain a single standard for all films. 8/10
Cinematography - I'll keep this brief. The best cinematography of the year. Hands down. Constant, superb decision-making from Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins made this film stand out among the dozens of war films that have been released and created one of the best film experiences I have ever had. 10/10
Personal opinion - As always, I factor in the way that I personally felt about the film. I left this movie feeling as if I had seen a huge step for film in general. The way this film was crafted truly make it a work of art. I typically prefer strong er characters, but 1917 did everything he could do to strengthen the characters and, with minimal work from the audience, the characters develop quite nicely all things considered. I adored this film and cannot wait to experience it again. I personally give this film a 9/10. Overall, the score evens out to be 9.0/10.