Is 1917 Worth Watching?
1917 is not entertaining in a traditional sense. However, it is an important movie that I do think audiences should watch. The portrayals of the horrors that soldiers faced from trench warfare to no man’s land to occupied cities and the absolute destruction the war had on the surrounding environment are moving in ways I rarely experience in a movie. I was tense the for almost the entire run time of the movie, except for select moments of levity. This choice to have such long and tense scenes often had me thinking about the massive amounts of stress the soldiers in the trenches had to constantly be dealing with. 1917 shows that war is miserable and death is everywhere. While none of this is entertaining, it stark contrast to the glorification of war that typically occurs. This is possibly the most realistic depiction of war in a theatrical release since Saving Private Ryan. Technically, 1917 is spectacularly shot. It is just one continuous shot, which I do not know how they pulled it off. If 1917 does not win an Oscar for cinematography I will be shocked. 1917 is an important movie, even if not a fun one.
Rating: B- Good
Movie Title: 1917
Release Date: 12/25/2019
Genre: Epic War
Where to Watch: Theatres
Run Time: 119 minutes
Rating: R
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: George MacKay; Dean-Charles Chapman; Mark Strong; Andrew Scott; Richard Madden; Clair Duburcq; Colin Firth; Benedict Cumberbatch
Production Company: DreamWorks Pictures; Reliance Entertainment; New Republic Pictures; Mogambo; Neal Street Productions; Amblin Partners
Distributed By: Universal Pictures
Tags: 1917; 1917 review; Is 1917 Good; Is 1917 Worth Watching