Trenched Warfare

Rating: 8/10 (13 January 2020)

Though I feel a little like War films are going to struggle to find anything new to say, "1917" has a pedigree that meant I couldn't let this one pass me by, and it's such a technical marvel that I'm glad that I did.
During The Great War, two soldiers, Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) are charged with crossing what was formally no mans land to locate a battalion that is planning to go over the top the following morning. Unbeknownst to the command team at this location, the German's have withdrawn strategically and are setting a trap. Blake is particularly invested in this mission as his brother in part of the battalion due to attack.
There was a great choice made to attempt to tell his story is a few cuts as possible, so, for example, the film opens with a good half an hour long scene of the soldiers receiving their orders, making their way along the trenches and across no man's land. It's here that you get a sense of the filmmaking scale, with miles of trenches being dug out and hundreds of extras giving a full impression of how awful conditions would have been for the real soldiers. You also see the skill of camera work, as it moves along the trenches with the guys, before sailing out and around them as they reach more open land.
All that technical work though, shouldn't over shadow the central performances from the leads. They're excellent. Both convey that they are best friends, but that they are at different points in their war experience, with Blake more optimistic about heading home than Schofield. The key personnel in the military brass are all played by recognisable actors, Daniel Mays, Andrew Scott, Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch and though they're little more than cameos they're obviously dependable and they all do a good job.
Admittedly, away from the strengths, it is another film that has the similar "War is bad" message and whilst that's a message that's often worth repeating, it's not a new one. I would also be a little critical of the score, which felt heavy-handed in places - particularly around the ruined town.
The positives far outweigh the negatives though for a film that must be the favourite for the Cinematography Oscar at least.