1917

Since this is my first movie review, I wanted to first explain the process I am going to use to grade each movie. I will focus on the four aspects that I personally find to be the most important: the story, the original music, the cinematography, and the overall performance by the actors and/or actresses. Then, I will average those numbers together to create an overall number.

This is just my opinion, I truly respect the work each cast and crew member put in to every movie I will review. Also, because of that respect I will do my best to not give away any important details of the story, as I think everyone should watch a movie and make their own judgements.

Synopsis: At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake, are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them.

• Story: 8/10
• Original Music: 10/10
• Cinematography: 10/10
• Actors Performance: 8/10
• Overall: 9/10

Story: The story was written by Sam Mendes (also the director) and Krysty Wilson-Cairns. If you are looking for a fast paced, in your face, battle after battle war movie than this is not the movie you are looking for. However, if you are looking for a story focusing on the people who actually have to go to battle, and how war affects their lives, than this movie will do exactly what you want. The story was a bit drawn out at times, as there were a lot of longer scenes between just a handful of actors. However, I felt it was nice to see how the characters connected, and to see what lengths they were willing to push themselves to fight for their country and try to save the lives of others.

Music: While John Williams is one of the most recognized names in Hollywood when it comes to original scores, the Newman family certainly should not be overlooked. From brothers Thomas and David, their cousin Randy, their Father Alfred, and so many more Hollywood musicians; The Newman family is synonymous with Hollywood. I hesitate using this word, because this is my first review after all, but Thomas Newman’s Original Score for this movie was perfect! At any given moment, he gives you exactly what you want. From moments of complete and utter silence, to rhythmic strings and percussion driving through the battle sequences, Thomas does a fantastic job at matching what is going on visually. One of my favorite things about Thomas Newman’s style is his simplistic/minimalistic nature. For some people, there may not be enough melodic material, but I truly felt it fit this movie perfectly! I loved his use of reoccurring musical ideas throughout the film, that matched perfectly with the visual sequences.

Cinematography: I loved the lighting and camera shots in this movie! There are several longer scenes in which the characters are just walking from one place to another, which in and of itself can seem pretty boring. However, the objects the camera focuses on tells a story all by itself! There is one scene in-particular that was breathtaking; It was shot at night, and the Germans were shooting flares in the sky to be able to see anybody walking down the streets. The shadowing of broken down buildings caused by the flares moving through the sky was amazing! There are several other sequences that I am still not sure how they managed to capture it on film as they seem like one flawless scene, but it would be impossible to do without multiple cameras. I guess some credit should be given to the editing of the film as well for that!

Acting: I was very impressed with the acting in this movie considering there isn’t a major actor in either of the larger roles of the film. Yes, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch are both in the film, but they have extremely minor roles. However, even though they have minor roles, I think they did a great job at portraying the militaristic attitude needed for their characters. George MacKay was fantastic throughout the film, there were several scenes where his emotions were top notch! I did, however, have a few small issues with believability a couple times. I found myself yelling in my head “Why are you doing this?!” or “there is no way a soldier would make that decision”, but it was really only in one scene, and it is very possible that was just my opinion. Dean-Charles Chapman was amazing! I thought he was very believable in everything he did, with the exception of one small scene. However, I don’t know if it is fair to point the blame at him for some of the decisions his character made, or if that lands on the shoulders of the writers.

Overall: I really enjoyed 1917, I thought it did a great job at showing some of the horrors of World War One. It took people who had regular lives and put them into a setting that they just weren’t mentally prepared for. I mean, can you really be fully mentally prepared to take another’s life? Outside of being a movie about war, it was simply beautiful to watch and listen to. The Cinematography and Music were phenomenal, and they complemented each other so well! I will be shocked if Thomas Newman doesn’t win an academy award for best original score. However, I do still have to see Little Women with Alexandre Desplat’s score to truly judge that.

Sources:
1917 Image - https://www.1917.movie/
1917 Synopsis - https://www.1917.movie/synopsis/