Operation
Alberich was a German retreat, but it was a strategic retreat. It was conducted
about a month and a half before America entered WWI, so there was obviously a
lot of fighting left to do. The war seems endless for two lance corporals, but
time is decidedly short for the completion of their fateful mission in Sam
Mendes’s Golden Globe-winning 1917, which opens nationwide this Friday.
Cpl.
Tom Blake has been recruited to send a message from Gen. Erinmore to the Devonshire
Regiment near the Hindenburg Line, for very personal reasons. His brother, Lt.
Joseph Blake serves with the Devonshires and stands to die alongside his men
unless he and his mate, Cpl. William Schofield, can reach them before they
charge into a certain German ambush. The General has written orders canceling
the doomed attack, but reaching them in time will be no easy feat. First, Blake
and his mate Cpl. William Schofield must traverse No Man’s Land, the German
front line, and several active battle sights.
Superficially,
1917 might sound similar to Saving Private Ryan, but Mendes and co-screenwriter
Krysty Wilson-Cairns quickly break the mold of the prior film and turn audience
expectations on their ears. Once the film really shows its true colors, the
only real kinship it shares with Spielberg’s film are the equally intense
battle scenes. In fact, 1917’s incidents of warfighting are sometimes even
more visceral, in ways that will have viewers seeking a tetanus shot afterward.
Frankly,
1917 is not easily pigeon-holed as an anti-war film or a celebration of
patriotism. It is really just about two young kids trying to survive a war they
do not fully comprehend. Mendes & Wilson-Cairns’ narrative, based on the reminiscences
of the former’s grandfather Alfred Mendes, is a case of the epic becoming
acutely personal. The tone is almost Homeric, but without any pretentious
baggage.
George
MacKay, who was so remarkable in For Those in Peril and also quite
impressive in Private Peaceful (a film that ought to be revived while 1917
is buzzy, given its shared themes and co-star), gives a career-making
performance as Cpl. Schofield. Dean-Charles Chapman is also quite earnest and
ultimately rathe poignant as Cpl. Blake, but it is MacKay’s film—and he carries
it, almost singlehandedly at times. Although Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch,
and Mark Strong are prominently billed, they are basically just cameo appearances,
portraying officers of varying caliber whom the Corporals encounter as they
attempt to complete their desperate mission. Not surprisingly, Mark Strong
makes the deepest impression as decent but pragmatic Captain Smith.
1917
was
not the best film of 2019, but it was probably the best film that has a realistic
chance of winning major Academy Awards. Best picture is a possibility, but
Roger Deakins should be a shoe-in to win his second Oscar for best
cinematography. The windswept battlefields and amber-red skies refracted
through explosions and fires are striking sights to behold, but the long restless,
uninterrupted tracking shots really ought to seal the deal. The rigorous
craftmanship is evident in every frame and the cast never takes a false step. Very
highly recommended, 1917 expands nationwide this Friday (1/10), while
continuing in New York theaters, including the Regal E-Walk.
