1917

It is April 6, 1917, in northern France, on the Western Front at the height of World War I. The Germans have pulled back; the British want to take advantage. Units are deploying forward, planning to press the advantage- but command realizes it is a trap. They dispatch two messengers to cross enemy lines and notify the commanding officer of the forward units before it is too late. One of those messengers has a brother in the forward unit, giving extra incentive to success. Can they make it before it's too late?

This is certainly a different approach to a war movie. Appearing to be shot in one take (it was actually 34, I'm told, but stitched together in a way that made it look like a continuous shot), the focus is on the messengers and the challenges/trials they face as they attempt to complete the mission. The cinematography is breathtaking and made me wonder how they possibly built those sets. I thought I might be bothered by the lack of different camera angles- and indeed, it took me a few minutes to adjust to the style- but it was done very well. 

This is a film to be experienced- there isn't a lot of dialogue to process. Instead, you almost feel in the main characters' shoes as they undertake their quest. It is suspenseful and highlights the horrors and hardships a common soldier experienced during 'simple' duties like serving as a messenger. 

My main dig against it were a few elements that seemed incredibly unlikely ("how did that/they end up on a battlefield?"-type moments). And this is not a true story (nor based on one), so that diminished it a bit. But overall, it was worth at least one viewing.

Rating: B