A Race Against Time

 A Stunning, Spectacular War Movie

1917 (2019) – During World War I, the British Army sends two soldiers to stop an offensive that is headed into a trap.  They will fight their own military hierarchy, the Germans, and time to save over a thousand lives.

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring – Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays

Why I Liked It – Visually brilliant and poignantly personal.  A stunning look at the inhumanity of war.

Based on the stories told by director Sam Mendes’ grandfather, “1917” puts us right into the trenches towards the end of the war.  Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield’s assignment is more suicide mission than anything else.  Communications are down between their unit and one miles down the road.  The other unit, the Second Devonshires are preparing for a massive assault, one their commanding officer believes could be the first step towards ending the war.  The problem is that the Germans have laid a trap for the Devonshires, one to kill most, if not all, 1,600 members.  Adding urgency for Blake is the fact that his brother services in that battalion.  The fastest way is to cross No-man’s-land, and the area from which the Germans have just withdrawn.  If they have. I will admit that comparison’s to “Saving Private Ryan” kept popping up in my mind as I watched.

Mendes does a brilliant job with an intensely personal project.  He has a way with intense stories that I’ve generally enjoyed.  I loved “Road to Perdition” and “Skyfall” but found “Spectre” disappointing.  He’s also known for his work with “American Beauty.” Here he works with long, unbroken shots (one runs for over eight minutes) that give immediacy to the trench warfare and the trek across the expanse between the two units.  It latched onto me and wouldn’t let go. The movie is visually gorgeous.  The two young soldiers’ story swirls around both the characters and the viewer. Blake (Chapman) has been on the lines long enough to have much of his naivete wiped away, while Schofield (MacKay) is a veteran of the horrendous Battle of the Somme.  The Somme is a nightmare in military history.  Over a million casualties total, with 300,000 deaths.  His survival haunts Schofield as much as the battle itself.

The cast is mostly lesser known actors (at least on this side of the pond), but there are better known faces scattered through the movie in smaller roles.  This includes Benedict Cumberbatch in a tiny role near the end.  Chapman and MacKay carry the movie with a pair of excellent performances.

Rating – **** Recommended