1917

Directed by Sam Mendes
Written by Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Starring Dean Charles-Chapman, George MacKay and Andrew Scott 
Running Time 1 hour and 59 minutes 
MPAA Rating R for violence, some disturbing images, and language

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport 

Brothers was the last war flick I watched circa 2009 and it absolutely wrecked me. 

In 2009 I had gone through the gauntlet in terms of war focused dramas. By the time I made it to Brothers I had come to realize that my heart was not equipped to handle the horrors associated with individuals that experience armed conflict. I’d like to believe (and hope) that I am not in the minority in thinking that motion pictures depicting historical warfare are hard to stomach and downright depressing. Also, I am prone to perspire (reminder! I am a creature) due to the most inane causes on a daily basis and don’t need to find another reason to sweat. The inevitable stress and possible future night terrors were two things that I am more than willing to take a pass on. The cons had outweighed the pros and I decided that it was best to keep away from this violence filled genre. 

Andddd then there was the mention of a milkshake... 

Based on my remarks above, it should come as no shock that I initially had no intention of viewing Sam Mendes’ part-fictional war drama 1917. Unfortunately, I found myself in a predicament that led to an alluring proposition. There was not an MJ contrib available to review said film which sent me straight to bummertown. However Benjamin (my partner in crime) had a novel idea of how to sweeten the mishap (literally) by throwing the prospect of a vanilla shake into the mix. Well, this quandary of an evening now became my good fortune. I was willing to take my chances of being gutted, knowing that I would have the comfort of an ice cream beverage to later fill the void. 

It should be noted that even though Sam has only directed ten flicks, I am fond of the majority of them, namely: Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road (despite the fact that I am fearful to watch this again, because in the words of Marty McFly - it is heavy) and surprisingly Skyfall. So knowing Mendes’ was behind 1917 filled me with optimism and dread. He is a director that is not afraid to go full on werewolf or to get bleak. 

His latest film 1917 is set in the spring of northern France during World War I. The story focuses on two lance corporals, Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) who are sent on a daunting mission of hand delivering a message to a battalion’s colonel (Dr. Strange), informing him to call off the planned attack. If they were not to reach the colonel in time would cost sixteen hundred soldiers their lives, among them Blake’s brother. This, of course, is no easy feat as they will need to pass through no man’s land, abandoned villages and assorted terrain in a mere twenty-four hours. 

With the stakes being high, it did not take me long to become invested in this story. Although, what kept me on the edge of my seat was the cinematography work courtesy of frequent Coen Brothers collaborator, Roger Deakins. The movie plays out as continuous shot (long take) which made for a stressful movie watch, as there are numerous times in which I had no idea what was waiting around the corner. The camera follows the characters closely and, with no noticeable cuts or insert shots, it gives the impression that one is right in the action and never leaves it. I’ve heard some describe this technique as feeling like an over-stylized video game, but it worked for me. I did not find that it took me out of the story. Instead, it kept my attention. In mulling over the film later, I realized that this cinematic choice really worked well, particularly for this genre, as, just like in a war, it never lets up. The cast also does an incredible job and I found George McKay particularly impressive. I think we will be seeing a lot more of this kid in the future. It was also nice to see Andrew Scott, who I most notably know for his portrayal as Moriarty on the TV show, Sherlock. His character, Lieutenant Leslie, managed to add a bit of grim lightheartedness in an otherwise dire scenario. His appearance also served as a reminder to check out his latest show, Fleabag. 

If you plan to see this film (which I highly recommend), I can’t stress enough the importance of watching it on the biggest screen possible with a great sound system. This is not a “watch from your couch” situation folks. This is the type of movie that is made to be viewed in your favorite movie palace. Be warned though, this is a film that will cause anxiety that will take more than a milkshake to cure. This is a circumstance that the only road to comfort may be with a nice shot of whiskey.