1917: A Candidate for the Oscars
February 7, 2020
1917 is a new movie directed by Sam Mendes. Based on a true story from Alfred Mendes, Sam Mendes’ grandfather, and stars Dean Charles Chapman and George MacKay as the lead actors. In the movie, Tom Blake (Chapman) and William Schofield (MacKay) are both sent on a mission to traverse no man’s land in order to send a message to Colonel MacKenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch). With 10 nominations, 1917 can certainly run for winning the Oscars for this year.
For Best Cinematography
It’s cinematography, by Roger Deakins, almost always follows its main characters. It is made to show as if the camera does not cut at all and runs for the entire film. There is of course cuts in between, but the film perfects itself by hiding these cuts with some camera trickery. To the average viewer, they may not notice.
For Best Production Design
The set pieces in this film feels like a war movie. While other movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Dunkirk show the action of the battlefield, this movie has set pieces show the aftermath of the fight. Our two protagonists walk through the aftermath of the battlefield, the audience watching them awe and disbelief of the bodies surrounding them. The traps they can easily set off left behind or be gunned down from German forces in any instant are so real, the audience is left tense and full of suspense. All of the set pieces look authentic
Where 1917 Underwhelmed: For Best Original Screenplay
It’s characters, albeit a bit underdeveloped, do have bits of their backstory revealed through pieces of dialogue. We know that Blake has a brother that is about to be caught in a trap along with the rest of his battalion, and this drives our characters forward to stop the attack. A strong character motivation can help viewers relate to Blake for wanting to stop the attack against the Germans.
1917 is ais a be a strong candidate at the Oscars, especially after taking home Best Motion Picture for a Drama and Best Director at the Golden Globes award season. It also won for Best Theatrical Motion Picture at the Producers Guild of America Award. The Oscars take place on February 9, 2020 and can be viewed on your local ABC station.
