Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

1917

This film is breathtakingly Brilliant! Sam Mendes has crafted a war film that’s story is so compelling to watch and emotionally exhausting. Then on top of the greatly structured and well told story their is the technical aspects this film carries that is truly beautiful in the way that it is crafted through the  sound design. When you hear the sound and the chilling score it keeps you on edge constantly and when a bullet hits or explosion pops off it makes you jump and made me jump . It’s tense every frame of this film is layered with a intensity that keeps you on your toes and makes you nervous and scared for every moment these soldiers walk through a field. Then their is the  dropping cinematography by Roger Deakin’s. 

Firstly, A lot of people say every single time a war film comes out that it is the best film since saving private Ryan. Which is now the standard for every war film to reach as I do think Saving Private Ryan is the best war film ever made. That being said I don’t think every film deserves to be praised on the same level of Private Ryan when a new war film is released I think that should be used only when that height has been reached. I will say that I think 917 is the best and most realistic depiction of war since Saving Private Ryan as it shows the intense brutality of it on a massive scale in such a cinematically brilliant way of capturing its story onscreen. The film much like Dunkirk it uses sound to its advantage but here it uses it in ways that hasn’t had me so nervous and scared for the outcome of the characters onscreen in a war film in a very long time. Throughout this film it is very much quiet and the score overtakes the scenes for a large part of it and so the film has you constantly on edge as their is this uncomfortable silence that goes through the film so well. As if they were talking and bam a shot fired sure I would be shocked but with at times no talking and just the hearing the sound of the explosions in the background and the footsteps of soldiers getting closer it just brings a realistic and intensity to the frame that just makes it stand out.

Secondly, The Cinematography work by Roger Deakin’s on this film is one of the most beautiful shot films I have ever seen. I always tell people how Deakin’s is my favourite

Cinematographer as he films scenes in such a creative and beautiful way that always captures the emotion, tone and scope of the scene with Devine beauty. Here he brings his work to new heights as he pops the frame to life with something I have never heard be achieved which is make the film look like as it is shot all in one long take which is what the film does and wow is it outstanding. the way Roger framed the camera made you feel like the third person on this mission they are set out on and you feel like you the viewer are walking behind them feeling the intense anxiety of what is going on around them and the sheer ability to be able to achieve that and do it well is not easy and he pulls it off. The film on a narrative stand point is compelling but on a technical aspect it is phenomenal. As What is so great about how the Cinematography works its way into the film as becoming a third character in many ways is that the cinematography moves the narrative along in such a different way I had not scene that really brought the story to such life. 

Sam Mendes brings this immersive and intensity that looks brutal and is captured very honestly. Another great thing this film does well is the narrative we are presented and how it is executed is very well done. As this could of just been about the wow factor of the technical achievement that the film makes but it also gives a great emotionally compelling story that is so well acted and presented onscreen. What makes the film work also is your investment into the characters as we follow these two soldiers sent on a rescue mission and you see this strong bond of these two and the sheer care and love they have for one another. They show great small emotional moments that get you as invested as the big scope war scenes they are even levelled. As they get you to Care about these two and their bond felt so natural and realistic it felt like a documentary at times as the way it was acted was so natural onscreen. That leads me to my next point which is the performances all across the board are fantastic. George McKay gives a emotional reserved performance that was incredible to watch unfold over the course of this film as he gives a fantastic breakout performance. 

Lastly, 917 is one of Sam Mendes’s best films he has ever done as he shows the brutal honesty of the emotional and psychical intensity of war in such a way I had not seen achieved in a very long time. The performances are so good they feel and look real then you have the incredible technical achievements that it accomplishes in a way that left me shocked in amazement by the way the film’s camera work supported the narrative in a way I have never seen. This film made me tear up I was invested in the characters the scope this film is on and how it goes about presenting it was amazing and this is brutal, beautifully brilliant and truly the best war film since Saving Private Ryan 917 is genius and cinematic brilliance  I recommend everyone go check this film out.

This film centres on two soldiers that are ordered to go to a army camp and call off an attack as the enemies have planned to attack them in ways they don’t expect and so they are in a race against time to tell their men before it is to late.

Rated R : for violence, some disturbing images, and language

George McKay : George Brings a emotionally reserved performance that is powerfully brought to the screen! George MacKay brings a fantastic lead performance that is so layered in fantastic depth. George plays this very reserved person that is not very expressive on how he feels as you can see from the sheer raw expression on his face the impact of what is going on and how it effects him so deeply and he is able to present that in such a raw way that really impacted me. He is not as expressive as his friend as he is very kept to himself and he keeps his emotions out of the situations until it hits a point where things start to unravel in ways they shouldn’t have. Then he goes from this very quiet person to so explosively emotional through his sheer emotion in his faces and even the simplest words you feel the impact hit you so hard over something that can seem so small. That is the brilliance of his performance he has this fantastic character arc and journey he embarks on emotionally and through the span of the film he gets emotionally and psychically beaten up and chewed up and spit out. The words he is given to speak he brings the words written for him to life in such a realistic heavy way that hits you like a brick. He commits one hundred percent to the screen with his raw emotion and vulnerability he brings in such subtle but powerful ways through his performance and portrayal of the character.  George delivers a performance of raw emotion that speaks volumes and he does it in such the smallest of ways but has such impact. 

Sam Mendes : Mendes delivers one of his finest directed films of his career! Mendes is one of my favourite filmmakers working today as he dose not do a film unless he knows he can bring his stylish stamp to the film. Sam has crafted some truly outstanding pieces of film through the years with American Beauty and Skyfall and now he brings us this which is another masterful piece of film. Here he brings his style to the war genre which I have not seen him tackle and he brings such a compelling intrigue story that grips you from the moment it starts to the very end. He brings such a massive scope to this film and it is so brutal in its telling of the story it may be a quiet film for a big portion of the film but the silence speaks such volumes. He establishes the two soldiers so well that when they are thrown into this tense situation we feel and react for them as they have to be so quiet so the audience expresses what the characters cannot do in that moment which is amazing. As their are such simple scenes of them walking through the trenches or just through a hill and it will have me on the edge because since their is such a quietness to the film you never know when anything can happen and that unpredictability was so brilliantly brought to the film. Sam never looks away from the emotional and psychical pain these men went through it gets very dark and he shows it in all of its ugliness and I respect that he did that he never sugar coated the subject matter. Sam got such realistic performances out of his cast that bring such natural real performances full of great emotion. He tackles this genre of war in such a compelling way that is one of the best films of its genre Sam has done a brilliant job bringing a tense, emotion filled story on a grand scale that is masterfully told Sam Mendes does a incredible job amazing direction.