1917 is a war movie directed by Sam Mendes. Mendes co-wrote the screen play with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. The cast includes George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Two young British soldiers fighting in the First World War are tasked with delivering orders to another battalion to halt a planned attack on the Germans. It seems the Germans have a trap ready to spring, and two soldiers have to make their war across the battlefield in France to warn their comrades off.
This is one of those films that is shot in mostly one continuous sequence. I am not very familiar with actors MacKay and Chapman, however they carry most of the story and were well-chosen to do so. The movie has some moments that seem to drag a little, but the action sequences startle you back to attention.
I noticed that some moments reminded me of an Role Playing Game sequence at times. Although the film ends up being compelling for the most past, I am not sure that this is my favorite type of presentation.
In spite of my doubts about the style of filming, it ends up being a pretty compelling movie. There are some graphic deaths throughout, but it’s a war film. Mendes didn’t choose to dwell too much on the more grotesque moments, which was a good decision. The movie should do well enough at the box office, and I think it very much deserves to. Even if I don’t necessarily prefer the one shooting sequence type of storytelling, I found much to still appreciate about this film. The cast and crew still presented a pretty remarkable cinematic experience and should be quite proud of how this turned out.
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