By Grace Usala, Staff writer
1917 is a movie the takes place amidst the terrors of World War I. In this story, two British soldiers, Cpl. Schofield played by George MacKay and Lance Cpl. Blake played by Dean-Charles Chapman, are tasked with delivering a message which could save 1,600 soldiers; the Germans are falling back, and Britain must be notified or else they’ll be launching an attack.
The realism of this story is rooted in the fact that it was inspired by stories Director Sam Mendes was told by his grandfather, Alfred Mendes, who was a soldier during World War I. He took the stories told to him by his family when he was a boy and made them into something everyone can listen to.
World War I was started with murder and it ended in bloodshed. It began with the assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. Ferdinand was an Austrio-Hungarian government official who was shot by 18-year-old Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia. The US tried to stay neutral during the war, but propaganda, ties to Britain, the sinking of ships by German U-boats and the Zimmerman Note pushed the US to become involved in the war.
The darkness and violence of war makes it incredibly difficult to write about. One risks misrepresenting the realities of war while also worrying about the risk of viewers turning away because the reality is too painful.
Director Mendes has really outdone himself this time. So, how was it? The 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes speaks for itself—the movie is incredible. This is majorly due to the stunning performances from Schofield and Chapman. Both actors rehearsed their scenes six months before filming which allowed them to choreograph each scene perfectly and catch the realism of war. The phenomenal acting only received the chance to shine because of cinematographer Roger Deakins and composer Thomas Newman.
Other reviewers are fascinated by the success of the movie as well. Mark Kermode from The Guardian states, “Mendes’ First World War drama plunged the viewer into the trenches, to breathless effect.”
He is absolutely right in how immersive the movie is. Mendes utilizes his signature “one-shot” technique during the film in order to give it a realistic feeling. The screen will sometimes fade to black or be covered by dust while working to give off the illusion everything was taken in one shot. The angles from the ground and using God’s eye view puts the viewer in the trenches themselves. The movie itself is unique in how it distinguishes itself from other World War I movies. It is much more intense than Spielberg’s 2011 film Warhorse and tells a true event in a story format instead of a documentary like Peter Jackson’s “They Shall Not Grow Old.” The film ends with Cpl. Schofield running heroically across the battlefield alongside the trenches. This audience favorite scene includes him running into another soldier, which wasn’t scripted at all.
Everyone who has witnessed 1917 can agree on its phenomenal realism and camerawork. It puts them right into the trenches of World War I.
usalagc19@bonaventure.edu
