Cinematic Brilliance! (ESCAPES 8.8)

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 2020)

THIS REVIEW IS OPINIONATED AND STATED WITH TRUE FACTS. ENJOY!
Let me begin by saying this film will definitely go down as one of the greatest films ever shot. It seems that Sam Mendes(Specter) and Roger Deakins(BladeRunner 2049) have taken a page from Hamilton's book, deciding not to waste their shot... Literally! Ok, let me stop with lame jokes and get to business. This entire film, from start to finish, was done in a single shot. Long-takes, match-cuts, and much more to create a groundbreaking film. So, here's my review on the film...
ESCAPES Rating System by Davante Carter:
Emotion: (8) "1917 definitely delivers an emotional experience!"
Script: (8) "The story, original as may be, was satisfying and good, but not great."
Camera: (9.5) "Cinema history was made in this film! Every frame's a painting."
Art: (9.5) "It's a 100mil film, so... it looks very good in value"
Performance: (9) "Great from the entire cast including extras."
Editing: (9) "Slow-paced, but worth it. It's like the editing was done in the camera."
Sound: (8.5) "Music is touching and the slightest sounds are heard. Just Listen"
Overall ESCAPES Rating: 8.8/10 rounded to 9 for IMDB.
EMOTION (The Feeling): 8/10
As a war film, much can be expected emotion-wise in your experience watching. Sadly, there is death all throughout the film. It's terrible seeing lifeless bodies all over, it's an experience the Director felt we should have as viewers, and it was an adventurous and cringing experience. The entire film was written based off an actual event that occurred April 6-7, 1917. This exposition opened the door for true emotions which Sam Mendez made sure we'd feel and there's comedy if you watch and listen closely. So, I rated this section a 9 because I felt something watching this film and I think everyone who watches this will feel something about it. The audience will have a satisfying emotional experience.
SCRIPT (The Story): 8/10
The film reminded me of Saving Private Ryan(SPR) with its story, except the mission is being carried out by 2 men instead of a one. Of course the plot was arranged differently in 1917 than SPR, but I believe 1917 is a modern day take on SPR that was shot by Roger Deakins.
CAMERA (The Look): 9.5/10
I don't believe I've progressed enough in my film studies to rate the cinematography of the great Roger Deakins. But, here goes...
What a masterful film cinematically! With this being the camera section, let me get straight to my favorite shot. I guess I'd have to call it a frame since the movie is only one shot. The camera during the opening 5 minutes had forced me to never stop watching. I was in awe of the camera movement! The camera crew worked really well together to get these amazing shots. It is true that any moment in the film could be seen in a painting. Deakins utilized camera tricks to achieve the look of a 2 hour long-take. He captured the terrain beautifully and used every type of shot you could think of in terms of movement, angle, framing and composition during a long-take movie. And this is the reason why I will refuse to watch this movie on anything but in the theaters, on a home projector, or a 75in SmartTV. It just looks so amazing on a big screen that I wouldn't want to watch it any other way.
ART (The Production): 9.5/10
The locations were spot-on. I could see a war torn France. Production Designer Dennis Gassner (BladeRunner 2049), made locations for a movie that's continuous with no cuts, but takes place over miles of terrain. Pulling this off takes hardwork, skill, and experience. Gassner was the right man for this project. The execution of the Art department and the value of the film was above Excellent and done with an estimated 100mil budget. The budget was used very well. I rated this section a 9.5 because the locations, sets, make-up, etc... were all done very well. It just looks realistic.
PERFORMANCE (The Acting): 9/10
From the main cast to the extras, all of the performances were fun and thrilling. George McKay deserved at least a nomination for this role. However, in seeing this film, I believe he will star in many more films and give more awesome performances. I recognized many of the actors as well. A few of them were television stars. It was a good performance for a relatively new generation of actors on the big screen. I rated this a 9 because I have no complaints about the performance and they were great throughout the long takes.
EDITING (The Pace): 9/10
"It's soooo boring!!!" - Random moviegoer
Correction! The movie wasn't boring at all, it was only long because there were no cuts! Well, there were no cuts that you'd notice at least. The pace of this film was slow, but it gave us the fine details. The Moviegoer was expecting a quick shower, but got a refreshing bath instead. The pace matched the story. In truth, war isn't fast paced all the time. War is mainly about preparation and strategy, not fighting, and these two elements take time to master.
I researched that Lee Smith (the film's editor) worked closely with Deakins to achieve the one shot look. So, I'm just going to put it like this... The editing was so good that it's like it was never there! That's why the editing gets a 9.
SOUND (The Rhythm): 8.5/10
This film sounded amazing. Mendes did a great job ramping up suspense with sound, and delivering with a punch but I couldn't remember anything about sound that jumped out. Well, there , but I jumped myself more than the scene jumped out at me. The gunshots sounded like actual gunshots, and the sounds were crisp. We were definitely within the movie at all times. I rated an 8.5 because I didn't feel a military style of music. It felt epic. Which was the right chose for a major production.
So that's the review from 1917.
Thank you for reading.