Although 1917 is a film that’s been consistently praised for its editing and creative direction, it took me a suprisingly long while for me to bump it to the front of my watchlist. A film presented in one-take is impressive, but a war movie? It’s unheard
of.
And yet, my distaste for the War genre led me to prioritise a number of other films over this one time and time again. However, after watching 1917 and promptly adding it to my list of all-time ‘must watchs’ I can see just what I was missing out on with that type of mindset (more on that later).
1917 is a peice of art. It’s a captivating piece of 21st century media, and it’s something that’s set the bar for the creative implications of both film post production, and incredible writing for years to come.
The film follows two WW1 soldiers, and their journey across No Man’s Land, to deliver a message that, if not delievered, will essentially lead thousands of soldiers, including the protagonists brother, to their deaths.
Firstly, the film’s post production is to die for – and why wouldn’t it be. Lee Smith, the lead editor (up the Aussies!), has a plethora of flims under his belt, including Inception, the Dark Night, Dunkirk and Interstellar to name a few. Cleverly hidden cuts pair well with the choiceful choreography of the camera to make for an incredibly entertaining watch. It’s furthered still by an acute use of colour grading and special effects – that make nearly every frame of the film worthy of being framed and hung in a museum.
Assisting this, the writing of the film is incredible. It blew my mind that, though the film is framed in one shot, the movie never felt slow. There was always something happening, whether it be a German bomber appearing from across the fields, a lone sniper deciding it’s time to open fire or simply a light-hearted interation between the soldiers, ‘1917’ always stayed fresh. Even when the pacing of the film slowed down – there was this consistent looming intensity in the air, that kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire runtime.
Scenes change in an instant, the story shifts and bends as our protagonists progress and the movie never ceases to stop giving. Obviously, the music production, choice of actors, cinematography, set design and overall historical accuracy are also out of this world.
But, for me personally, I think ‘1917’ has given me something even further – something it may have not even intended to. I don’t care for war movies – or at least, I didn’t. They feel generic and sloppy, they feature dull portrayals of historical events to make a quick buck. But after enjoying 1917 so much, it makes it clear how narrow-minded that mindset is.
It’s the age old saying, dont judge a book by its cover… or movie by it’s synopsis. It doesn’t matter what genre a film is, or what it’s about. If the movie is good, it shouldn’t matter. Anything featuring such artistry as ‘1917’ – such expert direction and creative vision is worth watching.
