'1917' Movie Review
2 min readMovie Information:
Release Date: January 10th, 2020
MPA Rating: R (for violence, some disturbing images, and language)
Runtime: 1 hr 50 min
Directed By: Sam Mendes
Written By: Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong II, Richard Madden, and Benedict Cumberbatch
Summary
Directed, produced, and co-written by Sam Mendes, 1917, is a war film that Mendes partially based upon an account told to him by his grandfather. Starring George MacKay (Lance Corporal Shofield), Dean-Charles Chapman (Lance Corporal Blake), Mark Strong II (Captain Smith), Richard Madden (Lieutenant Joseph Blake), and Benedict Cumberbatch (Colonel MacKenzie), the movie centers around two young British soldiers who are given the task of delivering a message to a battalion on the front-line.
During World War I, two young British soldiers must reach the front line and stop an attack on German soldiers because of an ambush. Set in northern France during the spring of 1917, Shofield and Blake are given the task of warning a battalion of a German ambush that will kill all 1,600 British soldiers. One of the soldiers in the battalion is Blake’s brother.
For the remainder of the movie, the two soldiers encounter multiple threats and obstacles that they must overcome to complete their mission.
Review
Besides simply being an amazing film, 1917 happens to look like one whole uninterrupted take throughout the movie. This originality in film-making, is possibly what led to such high reviews of Sam Mendes’ latest movie.
Before going to see the movie, I expected 1917 to be just another movie following in the footsteps of Saving Private Ryan. Although the concept is a bit similar, Mendes takes his film up another level. The camera work is amazing and just adds to the suspense and thrills throughout the film. The sound and effects are on point and add more to the cinematic experience.
One does not have to be a fan of war movies to enjoy 1917. It will leave you on the edge of your seat as you follow the main characters through the war zones that they must overcome. I encourage millennials and boomers to go watch this movie, as it’s one of a kind.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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