Ever since I first saw the opening scene of Spectre, I found myself enthralled with the ‘one-shot’ style of filmmaking.
It’s something that has continued as I watch more and more films and it is what piqued my interest in 1917.
Unfortunately this style is only interesting for the first five minutes and the film needs to have more substance behind just a gimmick.
Luckily 1917 includes some brilliant character stories as well as a detailed look at the futility of war, which only adds to the intense feel of the movie.
It starts with the introduction of our two lead characters Lance Corporal Schofield and Lance Corporal Blake, played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman respectively.
They are given orders by General Erinmore (Colin Firth) to stop an attack on the German line scheduled for dawn the following day. British intelligence has figured out it could be a trap and would see the death of 1,600 men.
But in order to reach the soldiers who will be leading the attack, the duo must make their way across no-man’s land and through a German-controlled town which throws up a lot of dangers.
The sequence only adds to the intensity of the film despite the fact that many of the audience members will already have seen a few of the set-pieces, thanks to the film’s over-generous marketing campaign.
Some of the performances are Oscar-worthy, especially that of George MacKay, who perfectly manages to convey slight emotions in just a face twitch or by the style of his walk which is the focus of attention more often than not, thanks to some brilliant directing from Sam Mendes.
Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch also feature in guest appearances.
Mendes, who directed the previously mentioned Bond flick Spectre, takes us from the trenches, to a claustrophobic bunker, open fields and a dark fire-strewn city all whilst maintaining the one-shot style for the full 120 minutes.
But there are some obvious cuts, such as when the camera will be completely covered by a tree or a rock to allow the camera-man to stop filming and for the cast and crew to have a break.
They do not take away from the film and the fact that it is told in real time only adds to the urgency and intensity of the movie as a whole.
The one criticism I have of this style of shooting is the viewer does tend to lose a sense of direction and awareness, which you could argue is even more immersive because the characters themselves would be in the same position.
Thomas Newman’s incredible score does an exceptional job at underpinning the emotional and tense moments that crop up throughout the runtime, which can, at times, feel a bit bloated, especially in the first act when you might find yourself waiting for the action to start.
Once it does you end up being on an intense and nerve- wracking rollercoaster which you don’t really want to end.
You know how the First World War ended and you know what is just around the corner for those that do make it out alive. But that knowledge adds to the emotional heart of the film because you understand that it could all be in vain.
This film is one of the most outstanding war films of the modern era of cinema.
Somehow making the story feel massive, but at the same time, bringing it down to a personal level and making it all about the lives of the characters on the screen.
In that way it’s similar to what that other war epic Dunkirk achieved in 2017. This is 100 per cent a film I would recommend you see.
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