Ah, it's been a while since I have written movie and TV reviews. Glad to be back :)
The movie that has now
won around 60 nominations, including Best Picture at the Golden Globes 2019,
has now finally released in India. 1917 is a movie I was eagerly looking
forward to watching, ever since the trailer released.
After reinvigorating the
Bond franchise through Skyfall (and kinda boring us all with his follow-up film
"Spectre"), director Sam Mendes provides us with this breathtaking,
beautiful-looking film about 2 soldiers who must travel beyond enemy lines to deliver a message, which could save the lives of 1600 people! And now, I thank
him from the bottom of my heart for giving us this masterpiece.
1917 is one of those
films which you must watch in theatres, whatever it may be! It is one of the
most visually stunning, seamlessly edited and wonderfully made films, that
leaves your eyes glued to the screen for its entire runtime. The movie's USP,
which is "the whole movie made to look like one continuous shot" is a
marvelous achievement that receives praises that shall reach heights beyond the
sky. I had the time of my life watching the one-continuous shot film as if I am
actually moving with the characters, eagerly invested in the storyline which
was being shown, and trying to be a smart-ass by finding out where the edits
were done. Albeit one awkward edit which even seemed to have a time jump, the
one-continuous shot never felt like a gimmick, which thankfully leads to the movie NOT becoming one of those "visually stunning, but story-wise average"
films. To put it simply, 1917 is everything Dunkirk should have been, and
much more.
One must definitely
appreciate the efforts put in by the cast and crew to film this movie with such
minimal edits, putting themselves through multiple rehearsals, and withstanding
the perils of the natural habitat. 1917 has some gorgeous cinematography,
completely unnoticeable VFX, very well done editing, and great use of practical
effects, that truly lends itself a position higher than most films in
general. Credit to such artwork goes to the entire cast and crew (of
course), but especially to the cinematographer of this movie, the renowned
Roger Deakins. The man has done some great work in movies like The Shawshank
Redemption, Skyfall and Sicario, and I am glad he is finally getting some
recognition! I am eagerly waiting to watch (@NetflixIndia looking at you) one of his recent films for which he
won an Oscar, Blade Runner 2049. When a movie attracts you simply by looking drop-dead
gorgeous in the trailer, you know there is a special touch behind that.
You have to understand
that in the case of one-continuous shot films, the focus is shifted solely to
these 2 characters and the actions that happen around them and thus, there are lots of
restrictions involved. You cannot cut to another scene, showing different
characters situated at different locations, the events portraying the war such
as the bombings, gunfights, and so on. People often misunderstand this as a
lack of character development, and thankfully, this was never the problem here!
1917 managed to achieve some good character development. Although you may not
know much about these 2 soldiers, you could connect to them easily, were still
invested in their actions, and were genuinely worried and concerned for their safety as the
dangers lie ahead and all around them. Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen
Baratheon, for those of you, still clinging on to Game of Thrones), and George
MacKay, along with brief roles by A-list actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch,
Mark Strong and Andrew Scott, deliver some solid performances, that keep you
invested in their actions throughout.
There are some scenes
which make you cheer, some which make you filled with trepidation, an upbeat sense of joy and relief, and
there are some that make you cry. Thomas Newman, the music composer has done some great work for this film. Not gonna lie, I almost did choke up a little
when the "Wayfaring Stranger" was sung by one of the soldiers. A
truly touching and heartwarming scene. However, it is very
disheartening to know that the cover sung by the soldier is not in the movie's
official soundtrack.
Overall, 1917 is a
work of art that deserves all the praises and awards it has
been getting. With some incredible cinematography, impeccable editing and
background score, I give this film a 9/10. 1917 deserves your money, as it sadly has very few shows due to releasing close to the festive season here in India. Please do go watch in
theatres, before show timings become unavailable!
This is not just a
movie, it is a cinematic experience!
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