Top 10 Things Critics Are Saying About 1917

While suffused in tragedy and sheer horror, it’s the film’s quieter scenes that really bring out its humanity. Jason Osiason of Fanatic Film Fans praises the movie as “bursting with a depth of heart and emotion unprecedented in the genre.” Rendy Jones is especially taken with leads Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay, saying that their bond “is fleshed out enough that when heartbreaking moments occur, you become choked up. They are so enjoyable to watch that you become emotionally invested.” The New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski is quite moved by the film as well, highlighting the use of the song “Wayfaring Stranger,” and an intimate scene between Schofield and a caretaker in his review.

The film’s setup is an engrossing nail-biter, as Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield race against the clock to deliver a crucial message that could save 1,600 British soldiers’ lives. The film is loosely inspired by the WWI stories passed down by Sam Mendes’ grandfather, Alfred. Mendes didn’t craft the screenplay alone, though. As Tomris Laffly of Time Out New York notes, “Sam Mendes’ “1917” is co-written by a woman. Her name is Krysty Wilson-Cairns. This is her feature debut as a writer; one in which she conceived a one-shot war film.” Although our two heroes fuel this story, Variety’s Peter Debruge opines that “The script feels most exciting when other characters are involved, especially after a shocking off-camera setback threatens the mission.”

The best war epics plunge the audience into utter chaos, making viewers feel as if they’re absorbed into combat. “1917” does exactly that, but in seemingly unparalleled ways, immersing audiences into the action with Blake and Schofield. Their dread is our dread, making for one of the most intense war pictures ever brought to the screen. As Scott Menzel of We Live Entertainment puts it, “1917 is not for the faint of heart. An unforgettable anxiety-inducing cinematic roller-coaster ride.” Alonso Duralde of TheWrap is also amazed, writing that since “most of the mission is being presented in what appears to be actual time, ‘1917’ offers few opportunities for the audience to exhale.”

Although Dean-Charles Chapman is receiving acclaim for his performance as Blake, many critics have singled out George MacKay as the film’s guiding light for his portrayal of Schofield. “Actor George MacKay carries Sam Mendes' audacious real-time WWI adventure,” writes Variety’s Peter Debruge. Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt also declared that “the film belongs to Chapman and more than anyone, MacKay,” adding, “His Lance Corporal Schofield isn’t just a surrogate Everyman; he’s hope and fear personified, and you couldn’t look away if you wanted to.” MacKay is being widely credited with getting much of Schofield’s character development across through his facial expressions alone.

Composer Thomas Newman has been nominated for fourteen Academy Awards, although, shockingly, he’s never taken home Hollywood’s top honor. As far as Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter is concerned, it’s “almost unfathomable” that Newman won’t win his first Oscar for “1917.” Consequence of Sound’s Dan Pfleegor notes that “composer Thomas Newman creeps in to remind everyone of the dangers that linger outside the crumbling walls.” Elements of Madness’ Douglas Davidson goes as far to say that Newman’s score “often feels like another character in the film, acting and reacting, not just in a manner which envelopes the action with sound, but one which feels undeniably alive, almost as though it is seeking to convey the words the Blake and Schofield cannot.”

It’s been almost 20 years since Sam Mendes won his first Academy Award for his debut feature, “American Beauty.” For “1917,” Joyce Eng of GoldDerby believes that Mendes is “a massive contender to take home a bookend Best Director statuette, which would give him the longest gap between two wins.” For NextBestPicture’s Matt Neglia’s money, “1917 is THE technical achievement of 2019. We’re with these men through every footstep and it’s unlike any war film you’ve ever seen before.” The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw writes, “‘1917’ is Mendes’s most purely ambitious and passionate picture since his misunderstood and under-appreciated ‘Jarhead’ of 2005.” It’s only made more impressive when you consider that, as IndieWire’s Zach Sharf points out, he started shooting only in April 2019.

In an era of streaming, people have grown accustomed to watching major motion pictures on smaller screens. Collider’s Steven Weintraub, however, asserts: “See this on the biggest screen you can.” “I can't stress enough that you should see this movie on the big screen,” Jason Guerrasio of Business Insider writes. “There is so much going on in the frame all the time that you want to feel fully immersed in it.” “1917” is being hailed as the kind of event picture that defines why the cineplex is still integral to the movie-going experience, not only due to its larger-than-life visuals, but also the hair-raising sound design.

Roger Deakins was already considered by many to be the industry’s best living cinematographer. He outdoes himself in “1917,” which is a front-runner for the Best Cinematography Oscar, according to the LA Times’ Glenn Whipp. After all, “1917” is shot to look like a single take playing out in real time; but while the entire film wasn’t actually executed in one shot, the editing is so meticulous, it’s hard for viewers to figure out where exactly Mendes yelled “Cut!” Phillip De Semlyen of Time Out London compares the use of editing to the likes of “Birdman” and “Gravity,” writing, “Invisible cuts – and, bar one fade to black, they’re damn hard to spot – stitch together two hours of screen time into a seamless whole.”

Since the name “Oscar” has come up several times, it should come as no surprise that “1917” is being declared a potential Best Picture favorite. Turner Classic Movies’ Dave Karger says we can expect “Definite nominations for picture, director, cinematography, and design.” Possibly score and sound editing too.” Julian Roman of MovieWeb shares the same sentiment, writing in his review, “It is the clear Oscars front runner for best film of the year.” Granted, “1917” could face stiff competition with “The Irishman” and “Marriage Story.” But if history has taught us anything, it’s that the Academy loves war epics, from “The Hurt Locker,” to “Platoon,” to “Wings.” Of course, there are war movies that infamously didn’t win Best Picture. Speaking of which…

Steven Spielberg set the new gold standard for war movies in 1998. And for Clayton Davis of Awards Circuit, “‘1917’ is the best war film Saving Private Ryan.” Such a statement isn’t to be taken lightly, as we’ve gotten several phenomenal war epics over the past couple decades. Yet, Time Out London’s Phil De Semlyen feels the film is an even greater achievement than Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” saying, “‘1917’ is a wildly audacious reinvention of the genre from Mendes.” And it makes sense that “1917” is being hailed as coming the closest to capturing the same levels of grit, drama, and ambition in “Private Ryan.” Both films share many parallels: a rescue mission at the story’s core, an overarching theme of brotherhood, and utterly immersive action throughout.