Sam Mendes Promises a War Movie Like No Other in First "1917" Trailer

Scene from 1917

Even as the decades and centuries rage on, filmmakers have been attracted to the idea of the war film. In recent years, The Academy has awarded films like Hacksaw Ridge and Dunkirk as these harrowing journeys into the frontlines of some of the 20th century's most visceral moments. And for good reason. It's a challenging feat to make war into something new and engaging in cinema. It may be what helps director Sam Mendes' latest, 1917, stand out as one of the most groundbreaking films of the genre. With the promise to look like one smooth long take, 1917 is promising to be, if nothing else, one of the most unique war movie experiences of the decade. The first trailer has a lot of explosive moments to tantalize us, and hopefully, they deliver on the exhilaration. 

If there's one thing that has become a bit of a high-end trope in cinema over the past decade, it's the idea of the long take. While the best filmmakers have always used it, it feels like films like Gravity, Hugo, Birdman, and Roma have all used it to differing degrees. It's shown off just how much can be shot on a camera, but also that editing software has just gotten that much better that spectacle can exist alongside effortful camerawork. Even Mendes has had his fair share of moments with the technique, such as in his previous film Spectre, which used the technique to open his latest James Bond film in expansive manners. Whatever the case may be, it has made cinema, if nothing else, a richer tapestry.

So, what is gained from 1917 looking like a long take? My personal belief is that the best long takes are self-aware of time and space in the best ways possible. It's when actors get to feel more human and flawed, where the pauses are felt and the small tics inform the character. I personally believe that part of Birdman's overall charm is how it uses the long take style to play with the perception of time. Days and hours pass within the frame, but it has only been a minute of screentime. Sure, camera trickery makes long takes feel disingenuous to some extent, but it helps the viewer feel both in the moment, as if the action is taking place alongside them, and aware of the potential of cinema as a form of art.

Probably the best example of long takes in war cinema go back to Saving Private Ryan, which found director Steven Spielberg playing with form as characters attacked the beaches of Normandy. The results were visceral, and it's in part because of how intense and neverending the moments felt. It forced the person to live in the chaos. That was the first act of a film. 1917 wants to do that with a whole film, which makes things a more interesting gamble. Given that Mendes is himself an equipped director, there's no doubt he can pull it off. The only question from here is if there will be room to tell a good story, or if the audience will be self-aware of every small flourish.

Check out the trailer below:

Looks very good. Here's the plot description according to IMDb:

Two young British soldiers during the First World War are given an impossible mission: deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop their own men, and Blake's own brother, from walking straight into a deadly trap.

That's all a pretty basic set-up for whatever's to come next. Given that World War I movies are rarer, this will also allow for things to stand out more. This is clearly based on trench warfare that is more strategic and dicier given the battlefield strategy of having to cross into No Man's Land just to get the plot going. This could be looking like a horror movie full of rich violence pretty quickly. If nothing else, the promise of Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins helping to make the project more seamless gives more of a relief that this is more than a gimmick. However, what exactly does this have otherwise that helps it stand out?

The follies of trailers is that there's no time to show off technique. The issue here is that while there could be a lot to admire, it's shown in brief clips that don't exemplify long takes. There are spectacle and scope for sure, but those wanting to get a bigger sense of the picture will have to go in, not suspecting that there's more than your conventional narrative. It would be wise if the next (or a later) trailer would highlight the long take just so that it seems more exciting. What's here is good, but if the film is being sold on anything regarding long takes, it's not here. It's about story and intensity. It's all good, but is it a fair reflection of what this film will be?

For the most part, 1917 looks to be another great war movie. Considering how much of a masterpiece Dunkirk was a few years ago, there is room to explore the genre and expand on ideas in meaningful ways. The only hope is that the gimmick doesn't outweigh the emotional core. If anything, there is a need to see them in coalition with each other. What's here is good and appetizing given Mendes' impressive track record. There just needs to be that something extra to make it into something greater and more lasting.