Make sure you see this on the big screen! The bigger the better!

Rating: 9/10 (13 January 2020)

Mendes handles his subject with conviction and deep respect. He provides an inquiry into the resolve of human endurance through an unrelenting portrait of the Great War, delivered with great esteem for soldiering. 1917 is an impressive technical accomplishment. The execution of its concept, the appearance of a 'one-take' continuous shot that propels the viewer through the narrative into a meticulous designed environment. It demonstrates a level of ambition given the genre but feels natural for such a portrayal.

The continuous shot provides a subjective experience of The Great War. Often 1917 paints an abstract reflection of the Tommy's state of mind in its atmosphere. Its awareness almost primitive, operating on the fumes of instinct. The imagery conjures up Romanticism in its textual analysis provoking both beauty and horror. Mendes has command over the audience's senses with overwhelming audio-visual shock and awe!
Praise will no doubt fall, and rightly so, on the cinematic prowess of Roger Deakins and the design of Dennis Grassner. Grassner provides an authentic quality that complements Deakin's lens. All of which immerses the audience in Mendes's world building. This is a finely tuned collaboration.