1917
The epic war film 1917 is a film that sees World War I in a way many people have not. The director, writer, and producer of the movie is Sam Mendes, Oscar®-winning director of Skyfall, Spectre and American Beauty. 1917 tells the story of two young British soldiers at the height of the war, Lance Corporal Schofield played by George MacKay and Lance Corporal Blake played by Dean-Charles Chapman as they are given a seemingly impossible task. The film also stars Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Mendes wanted to create an immersive cinematic experience for movie-goers. Thus, a movie that tells an epic war story is created for people to watch.
1917 sees two soldiers having to cross enemy territory in order to try and save the lives of 1600 soldiers. Amongst the soldiers they are trying to save is Lance Corporal Blake’s brother. The movie shows The Great War at the peak of the fighting, showing battlefield combat, as well as trench warfare. Also, we’ll get to witness the traversal of No-Man’s Land, the place that was between the trenches of rivaling forces. Mendes’ grandfather was a messenger during his time in WW I, and this inspired Mendes to make the movie.
This movie is meant to be a promising war movie that can give us an immersive experience. Director Sam Mendes took his grandfather’s stories into account when making the film, so we can hope it is a realistic film. With Mendes’ other films in mind, this film has potential and starts the year off strong. The film releases in theaters everywhere on Friday January 10, 2020.