ReelBob: ‘1917’ ★½
Editor’s note: I don’t care how many awards this movie has been nominated for or has received. I stand by this review, which I originally published a few weeks ago.
By Bob Bloom
World War I was a brutal campaign in which thousands of lives were needlessly lost because of shortsighted and stubborn military leaders who clung to their strategy of trench warfare.
They sacrificed soldiers by ordering them to charge “over the top,” facing deadly machine-gun fire, poison gas and other instruments of war simply to gain a few yards of earth.
Between battles, ill-equipped troops spent countless hours in mud-soaked and sandbagged trenches, contending with inhospitable weather conditions, illness, rats and bad food.
Sam Mendes’ “1917” is akin to time in those crappy environments. The movie runs 110 minutes but feels like an eternity.
Its script, by Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, tells a simple story. Two soldiers, Scofield (George Mackay) and Blake (Dean Charles-Chapman), must undertake a mission to the front. They must give the commanding British officer a handwritten order to halt an impending dawn attack on the German lines because the enemy is expecting them and has laid a trap that could cost the lives of 1,600 troops.
The two Tommys must wend their way through a series of obstacles and booby traps to reach their objective.
“1917” unfolds like an overstuffed video game. It becomes rather silly and farfetched the further toward the front it proceeds. The movie features some decent action sequences, which are presented sterilely and unimaginatively, placing Scofield and Blake in situations that make them appear more as avatars than flesh-and-blood characters.
From the outset, Blake is gung-ho about undertaking the mission because his brother is a lieutenant who will help lead the attack. Scofield is more reluctant, accompanying Blake out of friendship more so than duty.
As they continue facing challenges, Scofield is all for turning back, but continues, despite his trepidations, to push on with Blake.
About halfway through “1917,” a situation suddenly transforms the unwilling Scofield into Sergeant York, darting hither and yon, overcoming enemy soldiers and natural impediments to reach his goal.
His actions resemble one of those clichéd scenes from a World War II studio propaganda feature of the early 1940s.
Mendes continually creates distractions from the storyline by having cinematographer Roger Deakins move his camera around like a novice who just discovered how to use the device.
Plus, Mendes has hampered himself by filming and editing the movie as if it were shot in one very long take.
Also competing for your attention is the use of big-name actors in cameos — most notably, Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch. Their presence interrupts your attention — which already is being tested by this movie.
Admittedly, “1917” looks and sounds impressive. But the scenery and noise are mere coverups for a weak story told in a disruptive manner that fails to honor the subject or benefit you or the film.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
1917
1½ stars out of 4
(R), violence, disturbing images, language