The greatest WW1 film ever. The greatest war film ever?

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2020)

My review of 1917.
In short you must see this film. I don't say this because I have a passing interest in World War 1 nor because I think war is good. No. See this because it highlights extremely accurately a war that now only lives in silent black and white, distant documentary or the written word. It highlights is terror, sadness and pointlessness.
Now there are some inaccuracies which manly focus on geography but I won't dwell on them as to point it out and spoil it. If you know Northern France it's obvious.
On the matter of mud, of course the whole of World War 1 was fought in the wet and mud even in high summer (a common misconception) the majority of the film is mud free and this is accurate. The chalk pit of guns and chalk tunnels are also near identical to the same areas found in France today.
The inital trench scene and crossing into No Mans Land is, I would say, perfectly represented. You can almost smell death. Google images of No Mans Land or trenches after an attack after you have seen the film to appreciate how well it has been created. That is how hundreds of square miles of France and Belgium looked.
Note the difference between the British frontline and the German frontline at the start. Well thought out.
The camera work is second to none. The characters portray the stress and tension of war extremely well. And given there are few characters it is remarkable that this is acheived.
The score never over powers and adds when there is little or no dialog.
The relationship between the two main characters, I think, doesn't go to set out and be the focus. The get on as they have been through so much and are just trying to survive. The rescue of the German pilot isn't discussed as to whether they should help the enemy on war morals; they rescue him as they don't want to a man suffer and try to do their best for him.
The final scene of men going over the top and the running Schofield can be considered epic and a cinematic master piece. You feel every explosion and every frustration.
Thought this maybe a controversial to say, we finally have a war film that does not portray US troops in any theater or war or big name US actors in lead roles. No cigar chomping. No cliched story of a loved one back home. No bravado. No satisfactory ending.
It is a true to life (with some Hollywood) war film that covers a relatively little known period of Britians Great War effort (compared to say the Somme or Ypres). It has been filmed with care but does not shy away from the filth and terror and showing terrible injuries that come to mind when remembering the 14-18 conflict.
It is worth seeing and then exploring what happened in 1917 as thankfully the film does not set out to educate in this way.