1917’s Technical Gimmick Makes The Movie Feel Like a Video Game Level
Was there a reason to make 1917 feel like a one-take? The story of two soldiers (George McKay and Dean Charles Chapman) who are given the near-impossible task to deliver a message to a certain Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) presented in this “one-take” gimmick isn’t nowhere near the level of cinematic excitement director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger A. Deakins gave us in 2012’s Skyfall, one of the very best James Bond movies. 1917’s biggest problem is its technological achievement, making everything feel like an elongated video game level, and, thus, making it not cinema.
I can’t help but admire just how stunning Roger A. Deakins’ cinematography is throughout the entire film. The movie should be seen in IMAX solely due to Deakins’ wonderful cinematography. Every shot in this movie is a true technical marvel. Yes, the one-take is a gimmick, but you cannot deny how truly magnificent of a cinematographer Deakins is. He is in the prime of his career, waiting for his second Oscar that he will likely claim on February 9th. The 1.90:1 aspect ratio that the IMAX presentation has for the entire film adds an extra layer of immersivness through this video-game level. And, yes, there are many sequences, through the one-take, that are absolutely terrific. The best sequence of the entire film comes in the form of a foot chase, during the time where Corporal Schofield (McKay) is in Écoust, and many German soldiers are after him. That one-take sequence is particularly good — perfectly building tension between the [mostly] unseen Germans and Schofield who is trying to get to a river. Once he plunges in the river, the movie follows him in the water until his body goes through a huge waterfall. Deakins’ cinematography is excellent throughout. The best scene of the film, however, is where Schofield needs to find Mackenzie as he is sending men to defeat the Germans, and the only person that knows the battle is a trap is Schofield carrying a letter. The scene is full of tension, as the trench feels like it lasts forever. Schofield uses his wit to outnumber every obstacle in front of him to get to Mackenzie. It’s as exciting as the metro/foot-chase in Skyfall that ends in a shootout where Bond needs to reach M before Silva does.
The cast of 1917 is quite stellar. With great performances from A-List celebrities like Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott and Richard Madden in extended cameos, the real stars of the film are George McKay and Dean Charles Chapman as Schofield and Blake. Both of them carry the entire film on their own and meet different people as their “one-take” video-game level progresses. Halfway through, Blake dies, and it’s probably the most emotionally impactful scene in the entire film — with the companion scene at the end once Schofield talks to Blake’s brother (Richard Madden). As Blake slowly drifts off, Schofield tries to reassure him in saying that he will make it in time before the attack begins. I will say this, due to the unpredictability of the level, everything in 1917 is incredibly surprising, and there are many times in which you will be on the edge of your seat, especially if you see it in IMAX. The sound design and score from Thomas Newman are both fantastic.
I’ve raised the main problem of 1917 — the one-take. Due to the extreme technical prouesse Roger A. Deakins and Sam Mendes decide to portray the story of two soldiers delivering a letter, they forgot the most incremental element that a great film has — a fantastic screenplay. With the one-take, everything feels superficial, or, even, artificial. You don’t feel like you’re watching a proper war film, like Christopher Nolan’s terrific Dunkirk, which many critics tend to compare the two, even though they are NOT similar in any way, shape or form. However, like Dunkirk, Mendes likes to build tension around sound & music, which is why it makes the film a perfect IMAX viewing experience. But Mendes stages his film like video game stages, instead of an actual film. It honestly feels like a third-person version of Battlefield 1 developed by Naughty Dog. The sequence involving a rat triggering a trip-wire, which causes a bunker to fall down feels like a series of Quick-time events, in which you need to press the right button to advance the story forward — especially during the moment in which Schofield & Blake have to jump on a ledge. You can tell the exact moment where you need to press the “A” button (or “square” for PS4 players). And there are many more moments in which you need to avoid an object or be “quick” in your reaction-time (the plane scene and/or the shootout between one sniper comes to mind).
Does the “one-take” make 1917 cinema? No. Then why did Alexander Sokurov and Alejandro G. Iñárritu pulled off the exact same feat and were praised by their work in Russian Ark and Birdman, respectively? Because none of those movies plotted their story (and their one-take) like a video game level. The one-take felt justifiable and worked in their own rights — Russian Ark’s one-take is a true technical achievement. 1917 wants to be Russian Ark, but fails at even understanding the use of the one-take. There’s no real reason for this movie to be shot in one-take. Compared to Birdman and Russian Ark, (and even Hitchcock’s Rope) you can easily tell where editor Lee Smith (who also edited Dunkirk) cut the film. The edits are so inherently obvious that they immidiately take you out of the experience. 1917 wants to be a grandiose film, but it’s merely pedantic in its staging of a “one-take” and video game-quality plotting. Yes, the cast does an excellent job, Roger A. Deakins deserves his second Academy Award for Best Cinematography at the tender age of 70 and there are some sequences that do work in the large picture of the movie, but I felt ultimately let down by [most] of the movie. I thought it was fine, but it’s nothing to cheer and laud at. The “baby” scene made my 3.5 rating jump to a 3. It was horrendous and served no purpose to the actual movie. The one-take gimmick was done better in Russian Ark, Rope, Birdman and the criminally underrated Bushwick. Watch those movies before you celebrate on 1917.
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