1917 (ENGLISH) (2019)

War wreaks havoc on such a stupendous scale as it lays waste to once fertile fields, reduces resplendent landscapes to rubbish and rubble, delivering a deluge of death to unsuspecting scores while snuffing the life out of those left living as it renders them to a state of walking dead. It painfully wrenches the men from within the boys much before they could feel and enjoy the pleasures of boyhood as they are consumed by the insatiable appetite of obsessed adults who are at each other's throats. Little wonder that wars have captivated the imagination of story-tellers and by extension, film-makers for ages.

World War I.. French countryside.. British and German forces are deadlocked in a pitched battle of trench warfare where neither side is able to advance any more .. Lance Corporals Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) are assigned on a deadly quest to cut across enemy held territory to deliver an urgent message to another advancing British column which is about to walk into a German ambush.

In 1917, director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins have achieved a milestone as they stage the entire movie which is based on a wafer-thin premise to feel like a single seamless shot. The result is spectacular as it renders a rare fluidity and an immersive experience for the viewers who are sucked into the center of the action brimming with creeping consternation with each passing moment.

We are pushed off the comfort of your seat as we are forced to take the plunge into the trenches .. scurry across the open fields .. get soaked .. taste the dust and grime .. buffeted by the swirling currents .. dragging ourselves across the scores of unfortunate men and animals lying dead.. wondering if they were actually fortunate to reach their fatal ends long ago rather suffering the sorry plight of those living, if one can call it that.

The movie benefits enormously from its technical finesse in almost every aspect, including elaborate production design that recreates the stomach curdling carnage of war and a tense score by Thomas Newman that makes even the intervening silent moments feel deceptive like the passing through the eye of a cyclone heralding the impending perils.

While 1917 rightfully feels like a milestone in cinematic achievement and richly deserves the multiple awards for technical categories, it does not go the whole hog as it falls short of being a masterpiece in storytelling.

AN EXHILARATING WATCH !

RATING -3.5/5