Posted on 11/25/2019 6:02:49 AM PST by C19fan
Sam Mendes’ “1917,” a gripping survival story that unfolds in the crucible of World War I, inserted itself into the awards race on Saturday with a series of well-received screenings in New York.
The movie, which is made with great craft and care, now faces the unenviable task of trying to elbow into a crowded field of best picture contenders, one that already includes the likes of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
Many of these films have been on the festival circuit and these directors have subjected themselves to weeks of grip-and-grins with voters, giving them a head start. And yet “1917’s” epic sweep and undeniable artistry likely means that it has a strong chance of making the cut despite its 11th hour entry into the race. Director Sam Mendes will likely be in the conversation with those auteurs for his work on “1917,” which is from a technical perspective, a staggering achievement. The movie unspools in one, nearly uninterrupted shot — an artistic decision that gives the film a greater sense of urgency and verisimilitude and one that required six months of rehearsing and extensive preparation.
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I hope it’s better than Dunkirk. Pretty low bar set by that production.
Agree. Saw Dunkirk and it was just ok in my book. These artsy war films miss the mark. No need for fictional stories when there are so many real stories of valor to tell from WW1/WW2.
Parasite was a good movie, btw.
Dunkirk was too weird and art house to be a serious war movie. IF 1917 is in the same surrealistic wandering aimlessly vein, it is too.
I liked the first half of Parasite, the second half was meh.
The definitive WW1 movie has yet to be made.
People are becoming more interested in WW I. They are beginning to realize that WW I was the beginning of the end of Western civilization. Britain, France , Germany, and Russia were fatally wounded and transformed.
I'm sure there are a million compelling tales from the rear echelons and the untouched countryside as well, but that's not what audiences seek.
My opinion only ...
"All Quiet on the Western Front," "Paths of Glory"
Make the effort to find and watch the original German made “All Quiet on the Western Front”.
Nothing can top "They Shall Not Grow Old".
Actually, I think Gallipoli was better than either of those, although it was more of a character study in a WW1 setting. I’d love to see a movie set during the battle of Verdun.
I know it’s been posted on here a bunch already but I have to recommend Midway. I saw it a few days ago. As others here have said, it was a no PC bulls**t movie. Straightforward and action packed, showing the true heroism from the guys involved in that epic set of events. My wife did not want to go and she walked out just as blown away as I was. Not that many of these types of films out there now. It is certainly worth the price of admission.
As for 1917, I will be seeing that one in the theater for sure. I am a WW2 geek but I have started learning more about WW1 recently. My grandfather fought in that conflict and I know little about it.
I visited Verdun and Bastogne over Veteran’s Day weekend. The Verdun Memorial (a museum) is sobering and very well done. We visited the French Verdun cemetery, underneath the building, you can see the bones of the dead. Thousands of unidentified dead.
I don’t know if a movie can accurately convey the carnage of that battle. It was a eight month grind where 143,000 French died, 163,000 Germans died and over 500,000 wounded between the two sides.
It wasn’t machine guns, or going “over the top” that killed the majority. It was artillery, a day-in and day-out pounding of men into hamburger meat. I don’t know if film can convey that horror.
I simply cannot watch that one.
I squirmed in my seat throughout “Billy Kelley’s War” on Prime. The horrors of WW1 are deeply ingrained in the Australian psyche.
I will check that out on Prime.
Could not show that carnage.
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