As a history buff who wishes there were more World War One movies, this was right up my alley - and what a great piece of filmmaking it turned out to be.
The premise is brilliantly simple and effective in its urgency: two British soldiers have to reach another battalion and call off a doomed attack. Performances are effective: the relatively unknown leads bring sincerity and intensity to their roles, supported by a cast of veterans (Colin Firth, Mark Strong...) with short but memorable appearances.
Technically, 1917 is a marvel: director Sam Mendes and legendary director of photography Roger Deakins really achieved something remarkable. The movie appears to be filmed in an unbroken single take (actually with innumerable perfectly hidden edits), but it never feels gimmicky or distracting.
The level of tension is phenomenal.
8,5/10
The premise is brilliantly simple and effective in its urgency: two British soldiers have to reach another battalion and call off a doomed attack. Performances are effective: the relatively unknown leads bring sincerity and intensity to their roles, supported by a cast of veterans (Colin Firth, Mark Strong...) with short but memorable appearances.
Technically, 1917 is a marvel: director Sam Mendes and legendary director of photography Roger Deakins really achieved something remarkable. The movie appears to be filmed in an unbroken single take (actually with innumerable perfectly hidden edits), but it never feels gimmicky or distracting.
The level of tension is phenomenal.
8,5/10