“April 6th 1917. As a regiment assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message, that will stop 1,600 men, from walking straight into a deadly trap.” -IMDB
“FFFFF*****CCCCCKKKKK!!!!!”
That is the first word that me and my two movie-fellows let out after this movie wrapped up. And to be honest with you, that expletive was let out in more of a guttural release than with any real intention. This movie is INTENSE and not for the faint of heart. Let me clarify…
If you’ve seen the Joker, watching 1917 is a bit like that. Except, I hated Joker, so for me this was the better experience because at least I got the payoff of watching a good movie. YEAH, COME AT ME BRO!
This movie is incredibly unique. As you might have read, the movie is shot to appear as if it was done in one take, which means it doesn’t spare you from anything. Prepare to go to war for two hours. It really gives you an appreciation for what the whole production did: from the acting to the directing, honestly down to the props and makeup. It is a no holds barred look at what war looks like and it is not trying to protect you from seeing the worst of it.
In saying this, I really don’t mean to frighten you away from it. It is a beautiful movie about friendship, duty, bravery, society and it stuck with me for days afterwards. If you are willing to dive into the depths of mortality and are willing to have that reality stare you right in the face, it is one of the most original insights into those topics. And, if you’ll allow me to get real nerdy for a sec (lol, I’m already writing a movie blog so we’re sinking into real deep nerd depths hear), it has one of the most visually stunning scenes I’ve ever seen in my life. After a character wakes up from a black out, there the camera slowly pans out and over the decimated ruins of a city. It choked me up (I mean I was choked up a got 25-50% of the movie) because without any words being spoken, it said so much about society and what we as humans can do to/with one another, both what we can build and what we can destroy.
Overall, I highly recommend this movie. It absolutely deserves all of the Oscar nominations it received and if you’re one of those people who likes to see all of the Best Picture nominees, this should be one of the first ones you watch (immediately after Jojo Rabbit). However, I do say that with the warning that if you have intense anxiety or feel that you can’t handle seeing violence on the big screen, I would suggest avoiding this one. If you do decide you’re intrigued enough to go (and NEVER to make light of war), prepare for battle.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Claire Bears
🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻
If you like this movie, you should see: Dunkirk, Band of Brothers, War House
With: Sam Mendes
Directed By: Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Let Me Clarify 