Set in the first World War, two soldiers are given a very important task to deliver a message to the 2nd Battalion. The Germans have a trap set up for the 2nd Battalion and the two soldiers have to stop the 2nd Battalion before they attack.
Blaine: Sam Mendes had a great experience in directing “Skyfall” and “Spectre” and it was hard for him to figure out what he was going to do next after saying goodbye to James Bond. Sam had an urge to do another project. Sam read through tons of scripts to see what would be worthy enough to be his next film and there was nothing with Sam’s taste. But then it was suggested that Sam write a script himself and he wasn’t big on that because through his entire career, Sam has never written a screenplay before. Sam has done nothing but direct because he believes himself to be a man with vision more. Sam finally gave in and decided to do a little experimenting in writing. One of the things that has always stuck with Sam in his life is his grandfather’s World War I story. As a kid, Sam would listen to his grandfather's experience in the first World War, including carrying an important message. Sam always knew he wanted to direct a project based on his grandfather’s story. Sam realized that the World War I story should be that new project he was trying to figure out. Sam couldn’t write a whole script for a movie because this was his first time as a screenwriter, so Krysty Wilson-Cairns helped him. As a director, you have several images inside your head while bringing a vision to life. Sam has had so much experience in directing movies that have a great look to them and he was writing down how the scenes should look as he was working on the script for “1917”.
The thought that came to Sam the most was having “1917” look like it was one long take. He even put that on the front of the page of the script. Sam knew something like this would be a lot of work, but he was 100% sure on trying it out. There are very few movies that are made to look like one long take, “Birdman”, “Irreversible”, “Climax”. With “1917” that would be taking that kind of style to a whole other level. The style of long shot is made to look like the shot goes on forever without cutting to something else. It’s a challenging thing to do. The actors who are in front of camera have to stay in full character while they are in front of the camera. One screw up would ruin the whole shot after shooting maybe half of it. What I think was easy about shooting movies like “Birdman” and “Climax”, compared to “1917”, is they were shot indoors. I mean there are a few scenes that are outdoors, but my point is when you’re indoors it’s easier to get the right lighting you need for the shot. 93% of “1917” is outdoors and what’s important is having the right weather you need and you can’t control the weather, you have to wait for it. During shooting, Sam and his team would rehearse scenes with the camera in place while waiting for the weather they needed for a scene. While shooting one take of one scene, everything has to match. Through the boys' journey in “1917” you see the times change from day to night.
Sam Mendes has worked with a few very experienced and legendary cinematographers who have probably been an inspiration to him as a director. A director will always discuss the type of look he wants the scene to be with the person who is supposed to be designing the shot, the cinematographer. Sam Mendes had worked with cinematographer Roger Deakins on “Skyfall”. Roger's resume also includes movies like “Blade Runner 2049”, “No Country for Old Men”, “True Grit” (Coen Brothers version), “Fargo”, “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Sicario” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. Roger has faced a few challenges as a cinematographer and with “1917” he was faced with the challenge of doing the long take look. Roger wasn’t sure how you could make a war movie look like a long take, but he was figuring it out in his brain as he read through the script. Sam thought of everything and wrote it in a way that Roger could understand.
Another thing about the long take look is transformation. Like one shot becomes a different shot. For example, the opening shot to “1917” shows this beautiful peaceful view that’s all green. Then the camera goes back and you have the two main characters in the frame. Several different shots become one in what is supposed to look like the camera never stopped rolling. George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman are the two main actors of “1917” and the camera has to be with them at all times. Of course there are times where the camera will focus on other people who might be in a room with them like Colin Firth or Benedict Cumberbatch because they’ll be talking during a scene. The camera is everywhere in “1917”. It follows George and Dean’s characters as they go on this journey. The camera will either be behind or in front. It’ll also go around them, stay focussed on who ever it’s supposed to follow or listen to. The camera will also manage to catch up and stay focussed on the boys through tight spaces crowded with other soldiers.
The camera goes it’s separate ways from the boys at times and focuses on them from a different point of view. You could say the camera is a character itself because it goes with these boys on their journey and the entire time I was watching “1917” I could imagine the camera with these boys. The camera goes everywhere with them. Through muddy hills, through underground areas, death zones, it’s even in a raging river with George.
There is one time the camera had a head start. Like George’s character gets knocked out and falls down a staircase. When he awakens it’s night time. The camera goes up the staircase and out through the damaged room, gets a full view of the outside where flares are going up, goes down to the bottom and that’s where we see George MacKay back in the frame as he is heading towards the ruined village. And then shortly after, it becomes a different shot where the tint is orange.
The first house the boys come across is empty. George takes a look inside, while Dean wanders through the outside. The camera goes in the house with George and then there’s a shot where you can see Dean from the window. It looks like a picture frame. George enters the frame from the side and he is a silhouette. The last shot I’d like to talk about is during the scene where George’s character makes it to the 2nd Battalion. George washes up on shore after being in a raging river and he wanders through the woods. He walks until he comes across a group of soldiers listening to another soldier sing. George leans against a tree and you only see his backside. The camera circles it’s way around the other soldiers and then you see George in the frame again from a distance and it closes in on his front side.
Other than the cinematography, “1917” has feeling to it and unexpected surprises. When you least suspect it something intense happens and it makes you jump out of your seat, like a bomb explosion or gun fire. Another unexpected surprise, AND I MUST WARN YOU THIS IS A SPOILER, is Dean-Charles Chapman’s character, Tom Blake, gets killed off. Tom is around during the first half of the film and his reason for wanting to do the mission is because his brother, Joseph, is in the 2nd Battalion and he wants his brother to be safe. Tom and his partner, Will, George MacKay’s character, see a plane crash with a German inside. They rescue him, which is a bad idea because he’s the enemy and the enemy is taught only one thing….to kill. The German stabs Tom and he bleeds to death. It’s hard on Will because Tom was his friend. It’s dangerous to be walking through territory where you could get shot at or blown up, but the bright side was Will and Tom had each other. But now it’s just Will and “1917” went from a buddy movie, to a stand alone film. Will continues the mission on his own, not just because it’s his duty, but because he promised Tom he would make sure his brother, Joseph, would be alright. Tom is gone, but his spirit is with Will through this journey.
Will meets different people along the way, other soldiers and a French girl who is looking after a baby. Will meets the French girl in a hidden place while wandering that ruined area. Will and the girl show each kindness and help each other out. But alas, their time together is cut short because Will still has his mission. Will could have been the bodyguard to the girl and the baby, but there are 1600 lives on the line compared to two. It would also be impossible for those two to journey with Will because of all the stuff he goes through after leaving them. Hopefully the girl and the baby stay hidden from the enemy and Will didn’t leave them empty handed. He gave them all his food so they wouldn’t have to starve. There’s good news and that is Will’s mission becomes a success. He also finds Jospeh Blake, Tom’s brother. Will informs Joseph that Tom is deceased. It’s heart breaking for Joseph. I think Will and Joseph share a bond in that scene because the both of them cared for Tom and he meant a lot to them. Joseph appreciates Will for being with Tom, so that way he wasn’t alone. Will also made a promise to Tom that he would write to his mother. You could say Will is welcomed into the Blake family.
After seeing “1917”, it’s hard to imagine how it would look in a different way compared to it’s long take look and my rating on it is five out of five stars.
