Sam Mendes' "1917"

A movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

What spoiled this movie for me, I think, is that I had recently watched THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD, Peter Jackson’s reconstructed and digitized documentary about British soldiers’ involvement in World War I. Jackson’s documentary was emotional, raw, and very human. The many views of long-dead young soldiers looking at us straight in the face as they contemplated their next and potentially last action was haunting and a bit unsettling.

1917, on the other hand, never lets you forget that this movie was produced. As clever and fantastically detailed as its one continuous shot simulation is, we never quite get to know the main characters. We are amazed at the technical prowess and stunning photography but we never really get close to them as we imagine the army of technicians behind the camera hunched over computers and communications equipment.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for a “feel good” movie about the hideous disaster that WWI was. But sometimes directors let the technology and detail overwhelm the people and the story and, as successful as this movie is, I fear that is what happened here.

Review copyright (c) 2020 by Dennis D. McDonald

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