1917 (2019)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

1917 (2019) – S. Mendes

We follow (mostly literally, with an endless tracking shot) two young British soldiers stationed in France during WWI from the moment they are first recruited to deliver a message to another company (falling into a German trap) to the final moments after the message is delivered.  In between feels very much like a videogame (that tracking shot, which is actually full of invisible cuts, is mostly responsible for this), although this may be the fate of most war movies these days.  The lads encounter different terrain, different situations, and so forth, as they pursue their quest.  The award-winning cinematography by Roger Deakins is certainly amazing (and must have been more so in IMAX).  But let me just state right here that the movie as a whole left me rather cold. Perhaps it’s the sense that the plot is nothing new and merely an opportunity to dazzle us with technique.  Or perhaps it’s the missed opportunities for poetry and reflection that weren’t taken up (although there are occasional glimpses of what could have been).  The story was drawn by director Sam Mendes from stories told to him by his grandfather but by some strange twist of fate they turn out nearly cliché here. They built real trenches and used the studio to good effect.  However, at the end of the day, I think I prefer Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) for a real taste of the Great War.