Review: 1917 - An Odyssey Through The Trenches & Over The Top
I will start by saying that this film is amazing and you should absolutely go and see it. 1917 is really something special, not only for cinema but also the legacy of WW1 and those who served.
On hearing about the film before its release, I was worried that the one-shot technique would be relied upon as merely a gimmick. I needn’t have worried. The complete lack of (perceivable) cutting as the camera unblinkingly follows the characters through the trenches, across No Man’s Land and along rivers, not only adds to the story but becomes the story.
(Admittedly, the first ten minutes of constant movement through the narrow and winding trenches is a tad nauseating but this may have been more down to my drink choice than film technique.)
1917 see’s two young soldiers played by Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay (whose performances are exceptional by the way) tasked with delivering a message that will spare the lives of sixteen-hundred men ready to embark on a planned attack.
What this film does for the audience- especially on the big screen, is place you within the story and into the space of the characters. We are their ghosts, following and watching over them moment to moment. Their tension is ours, their relief is ours, their urgency is ours. Following the characters in real time puts great emphasis on the human element of the events we are witness to. There is no need for the filmmaker to comment on the faces of dead soldiers buried amongst the walls of blast craters. The only way to go is forward. Dwelling is not the name of this game. The mentality of a soldier is the story the camera tells.
1917 bought two films to mind: Saving Private Ryan and Atonement. There are obvious parallels to be drawn here. In the former, the search for a brother amid the gritty realism of war and in latter, the continuous single-shot over the beaches of Dunkirk. It makes sense why this film is such a masterpiece when it seems to combine the qualities of two pieces of iconic cinema.
Mendes was inspired by the stories his grandfather would tell him about carrying messages in the war. The film has certainly sparked a desire in me to learn more about my own relatives and their wartime experience. Films like this will always be relevant to re-instate the importance of remembering and being connected to our past. But I don’t know… this one does feel special.
Now despite my focus on the one-shot technique, I don’t think anyone should be focusing on it when watching the film. Trying to catch the filmmakers out and guess where they have stitched shots together not only defeats the purpose but is futile. Just let the experience wash over you.
The popularity of behind the scenes content for this film is a testament to its technical accomplishment, but also to the magic of cinema that still fascinates us and our quest to uncover its tricks. But underneath it all is a very human story about two ordinary men who represent all those who found themselves in the extraordinary dystopia of war. This is an odyssey through the trenches and over the top.
Written by Sophie Dymond.
'I'm a graduate of Filmmaking, a freelance editor and an animal obsessive. Writing is a passion of mine and so are films, so I thought I'd combine the two and see what happens!'