1917

Review by Father Scott Archer
December 31, 2019

Directed by Sam Mendes, 1917 is set in France during World War I. The premise is a simple one – two young lance corporals must deliver a message from General Erinmore (Colin Firth), calling off a planned attacked on the supposedly retreating Germans. In fact, 1,600 British soldiers, being led by Colonel MacKenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch), will be annihilated if they fall for the Germans’ trap.

Lance Corporal Blake, who has a brother among the 1,600 soldiers, is played brilliantly by Dean-Charles Chapman. George MacKay gives an emotionally moving and satisfying performance as Lance Corporal Schofield, his companion on the mission. If they succeed, 1,600 men will be saved; if not, there will be no survivors.

With several long takes and clever editing, the audience experiences the movie as if it were filmed in one take. The combination of the absolute brilliance of Roger Deakins as a cinematographer and this style of filming made me feel as though I was in the action and a part of the mission to reach the British troops. When shots were being fired, for example, I felt a sense of tension and danger, and while a few rests along the way provided some relief, the urgency of the mission was ever-present.

The beautiful score by Thomas Newman is never intrusive but only adds to the action on screen. It is subtle where it needs to be, and dramatic when it is called for. It is certainly one of the best scores from a great composer. Other details worthy of mention are the costume design by David Crossman and Jacqueline Durran as well as the sound editing and special effects departments.

1917 is a simple yet engaging story of sacrifice in an attempt to save others. I highly recommend it and consider it the best movie of 2019, and one of the finest I have seen in years. It opens January 10, 2020, nationwide.