1917

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

This past weekend my wife and I went on a date.  We saw a great movie and spent some quality time together.

We saw the new movie called 1917.  Wow!  This movie is based on an old story/tale/fable that may have elements of truth but none has been proven.  I am a huge fan of the military, and specifically military movies (Saving Private Ryan, Blackhawk Down, Platoon, Band of Brothers, Saving Chance, etc.).

1917 is based in World War 1 and the story is quite simple, the mission is not.  A soldier is asked to pick someone and carry a message from the General across enemy lines, within a short timeframe to stop an assault on the Germans.  If they do not make it on time, 1600 soldiers will die including his brother.  Think about that when you have to meet a deadline at work.  Seems kind of petty doesn’t it?

First, as the movie evolves with the simple choice of a soldier asked to pick a friend to go with him.  Imagine choosing someone to potentially die on a dangerous and risky mission.  What a choice.  To be fair the soldier didn’t know what his mission was before he chose his friend.

As the story unfolds in a wonderful cinematic way, it appears that the camera work and movie is one long shot from beginning to end.  It is meant to be that way, but in fact, there were perfectly timed edits to allow the actors to rest, with the longest scene being shot in 9 minutes.  The movie won multiple awards for cinematography. You are literally with the main characters from the opening scene until the very last scene.  They are in every scene.  No breaks, no back story, no cut scenes, just following them from the front, side and behind all the way through this 2-hour movie.  As they cross streams, go up and down hills, through mud, on trucks, walking through buildings you are right there with them the whole time.  This is storytelling at it’s finest.

So what did I like love?  First and foremost the look of the film.  Like my favorite recent photograph (see above), this movie had a look that I could describe as a 70’s or 80’s look I am trying to achieve with my own photography.  The colors are muted, very slight grain, and even though much of the movie is in the daylight there is the mood conveyed by overcast days that I enjoy.  Next, the fact that the movie was emotionally powerful to me made me enjoy it.  I am always amazed at how soldiers accept missions and do their best to follow through.  No questions asked.  This is one of those films.  Then like most of my favorite movies in the military genre, this involved a small group of soldiers (2) that you follow throughout the film.  I quickly became invested in the characters and felt a bit of what they felt during the movie.  Great directing does this as well as superb acting.

I highly recommend watching this film, especially in theaters, without distractions.  The blood and gore are very minimal, and the emotions are high. “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” – Winston Churchill

Until next time,

Tim