Movie Report Card: 1917

Date: 12/25/19
Title: 1917
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Mark Strong

GRADES

ACTING: 85
DIRECTING: 95
SCREENPLAY: 85
EDITING: 90
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 100
SOUNDTRACK: 95

FINAL: 92/A-

COMMENTS

I have to be perfectly honest; when I first saw the trailer for 1917, I thought it looked cheesy as all hell. The marketing campaign for this film, was pretty off. The punctuated ending with the see-through text of 1917, was very film school, and overall it looked...bland. As 1917 began showing, the buzz that had swirled around it was loud. There was a part of me, that doubted the buzz. Universal should probably thank the buzz, and 1917's recent Golden Globe victories. It probably saved 1917 from being an underrated, forgotten, gimmicky war movie. Sure, Sam Mendes, uses the single take gimmick to strengthen a simple story. However, he uses it to tremendous effect. While there are a few moments where the effect gets tiresome, for the most part, it enhances almost everything on screen. 1917, feels like a war movie we haven't really seen before because of it. I had similar reactions, when I saw Saving Private Ryan for the first time. Roger Deakins, deserves all the accolades he gets for this film. On top of the "oner" aspect going on here, 1917 is beautiful to look at. From haunting battlefield imagery, to burnt-out towns, the film is purdy. The score by Thomas Newman, is fantastic as well. 1917, does suffer from a little too thin of a story, and some of the acting is a bit bland. However, 1917 is a great war movie. It's a fine film altogether. It's a cinematic experience so if you get the chance, see it in a theater.