Review
JAMIE EAST AT THE MOVIES
Sam Mendes’ 1917 is an ambitious technical triumph — but the effects end up overshadowing the story and the performers
SAM MENDES’ eighth outing in the director’s chair is about as ambitious, dazzling and exciting a war film as you’re going to get – and it may just net him his second Oscar.
George Mackay (Captain Fantastic) and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game Of Thrones) play Schofield and Blake, two privates sent across no man’s land during the First World War with the urgent message to call off a planned attack on the Germans.
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The Boche have pretended to retreat behind their Hindenburg Line defences but are in fact planning to ambush the battalion.
Against seemingly impossible odds, the pair must survive the horrors of the battlefield to save the lives of 1,600 men.
And for a touch of added jeopardy, Blake’s brother’s life is dependent on their success.
The film is loosely based on conversations Mendes had with his grandfather, who fought in Flanders in the First World War.
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Over the next couple of hours or so, we follow Schofield and Blake on their perilous mission in what feels like a very expensive game of Call Of Duty.
You’ll most likely already have heard about the single camera shot Mendes has employed here — but if not, it’s worth a recap.
We are led to believe that Mendes has shot the whole film, the entire 119 minutes, on one camera in one, long continuous shot (Birdman recently did the same and Goodfellas has that legendary opening shot of Ray Liotta walking into the Copacabana).
While there are clear edits and cuts (I mean, come on — it spans a whole 24 hours or so!), it’s clear these were ambitious and technically intricate takes that easily span 10-15 minutes at a time.
Technical triumph
Weaving through hundreds of extras in the trenches, tiptoeing across enemy minefields — the effect is nothing short of incredible.
Be in no doubt, this is an incredible technical triumph from Mendes.
The sheer scale and audacity is breathtaking.
It’s rare these tired old eyes are left as wide as they were during this film — and, some hours after, I’m still furrowing my brow as to how it was shot.
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Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan will have nodded appreciatively.
My issue is that this effect becomes the entire film.
I spent far longer being dazzled by the cinematography than I ever did about the story or the performances — both of which, I would argue, could have done with a bit of attention.
1917 also features a conveyor belt of cameos from Britain’s finest — Mark Strong, Andrew Scott (Fleabag’s Hot Priest), Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Richard Madden — all of whom are introduced in a slightly heavy-handed way, drawing me out of the story some more.
MOST READ IN FILM
So here is Mendes’ war film (all huge directors feel compelled to make at least one, right?).
It is a film rightfully jostling for accolades and trophies — and some of those will be richly deserved. Best Director? Yes, probably — but let’s not get too carried away here.
Considering the subject matter, I was left extremely impressed but not particularly moved.