1917 REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Following the impressive success of his 1999 feature film, American Beauty, which won a total of five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, Sam Mendes has continued to impress critics and audiences with his films, including Revolutionary Road, Jarhead, Away We Go and Road To Perdition. He has also directed two films in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall and Spectre. However, his latest feature, 1917, may be his most impressive work yet.

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Lance Corporal Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Lance Corporal Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers, Blake's own brother among them.

While there have been a lot of war films, most of the ones I've seen, including Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan and Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, have been about the Second World War, which took place from 1939 to 1945. 1917 is one of the best films about the First World War and, while it’s difficult to watch at times, it’s definitely a film that needs to be experienced on the big screen as, when watched at home, the impact won’t be as big. With 1917, Mendes succeeds in creating a film that captures the horrors of the First World War. 

Those who have seen a lot of war-based films won't be surprised by what happens in 1917, however, this won't prevent them from appreciating what Mendes has created. Although two soldiers are sent to carry out the mission, given to them by General Erinmore (Colin Firth), due to how dangerous it is, it's not surprising when one of them, Blake dies, however, this scene is no less heartbreaking. The rest of 1917 focuses on the lone soldier, Schofield, who is left to complete the mission. The intensity increases as viewers are left unsure as to whether he will succeed. The sequence that sees Schofield race across the battlefield past a group of charging soldiers is where 1917 is at its most intense as he is nearly killed by nearby bombs going off. 

1917 has received ten nominations at this years Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Mendes and Best Cinematography for Deakins. If 1917 should win any awards, I think it should be for Deakins’ extraordinary cinematography, which is also another reason why it needs to be watched at the cinema. 1917 was shot and edited to appear as a single long take that takes place in real time with almost no breaks. This is the most impressive aspect of the film. This technique is at its best towards the end when Schofield is racing across the battlefield as the charging British infantry are bombarded by German artillery. Because of this single-take method, all actors had to rehearse every movement months in advanced. While the one-shot method has been used in films before, including in the 2014 film, Birdman, which won the Best Picture Oscar, it can be a challenging technique, however, it's used effectively in 1917. Because the camera follows the soldiers, it makes viewers feel like they're on the dangerous mission with them.

Apart from the cinematography, both MacKay and Chapman impress with their performances as the two brave soldiers chosen to take on this dangerous mission. Chapman portrays Tom Blake who is the leader and his main motivation for completing it is his brother, Joseph (Richard Madden). While Schofield would rather think things through and make a plan, Blake doesn't want to waste time. After Blake's death, Schofield becomes increasingly determined to finish the mission. Solid supporting roles come from Firth, Mark Strong as Captain Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch as Colonel Mackenzie. However, although these notable actors only appear in one scene, they understand the seriousness of the film and this is shown in their performances.

As well as Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography, the score, composed by Thomas Newman, is also nominated at this year's Academy Awards. Newman has previously collaborated with Mendes and composed the score for his previous films, including Skyfall, Road To Perdition and American Beauty. He has also composed the score for films such as The Shawshank Redemption, Saving Mr. Banks and Bridge of Spies. Despite being nominated fourteen times, Newman is yet to win, however, I think that his score for 1917 is a worthy winner. When the tension in the film increases, the music changes so to fit the mood of the scene. 

While the story for 1917 is a fictional tale about two young British soldiers carrying out a dangerous mission, the script is written by Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns and inspired by stories told by the director's grandfather, a native of Trinidad who was a messenger for the British on the Western Front. 1917 is clearly a personal film that means a lot to Mendes and it's a film that he can be proud of. 

Featuring outstanding camerawork and cinematography from Roger Deakins, brilliant directing from Sam Mendes and impressive performances from its two leads, 1917 is one of the best films about the First World War.

8/10

JOJO RABBIT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Getting the balance between comedy and drama can be a difficult challenge as the genres are very different. If a film is too serious, it can make the humour appear out of place. However, with his films, Taika Waititi manages to get the right balance. His latest feature, Jojo Rabbit, is no different. Making a comedy that is set in Nazi Germany during the Second World War was always going to be tricky, however, Waititi has succeeded and created a film that will make you cry tears of both laughter and sadness.

Jojo Rabbit is a World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

Prior to watching Jojo Rabbit, I didn't know what to expect as I had only seen one of Waititi's previous features, Thor: Ragnarok, which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fortunately, Jojo Rabbit beat my expectations and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. This lead to me watching Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which Waititi directed and released in 2016, and I can now understand why he's considered one of the most creative directors. 

Jojo Rabbit feels like a Waititi film so those who enjoyed his previous features will not be disappointed. Aside from directing and portraying Hitler, Waititi produced and wrote the screenplay, which is based on Christine Leunens' novel, Caging Skies, which told the story of a young boy growing up in Nazi Germany. After reading the novel, Waititi became interested in making a feature as he felt that it was necessary to keep reminding people about the Second World War. There have been a lot of films made about World War II, however, Jojo Rabbit is a fresh take as it shows the war from the point of view of a ten-year-old boy. This is where most of the comedy comes from as Jojo believes everything the Nazis tell him. Jojo's conversations with Hitler are also amusing and it's clear Waititi is having fun with his over-the-top portrayal of Hitler.

While Jojo Rabbit works as a comedy and is very entertaining for the majority of its 108 minute runtime, it doesn't shy away from the darkest aspects of the Second World War. In his research, Waititi discovered that WWII Germany was very vibrant and fashionable, and was interested in shying away from traditional war films showing it as dreary and dark, instead presenting the town as a seemingly celebratory place and dressing characters as stylishly as possible. He liked the idea that everything seems happy, but just underneath the surface "the third Reich is crumbling, and, you know, the dream is over". The second half of Jojo Rabbit effectively shows the impact World War II had. 

While Jojo Rabbit is mostly a tongue-in-cheek comedy, there are a few tense moments, including when the Gestapo, led by Captain Deertz (Stephen Merchant), visit Jojo's house. While this is one of the most intense scenes, Waititi manages to include elements of humour, including a repetition of "Heil Hitler!". This perfectly shows that Waititi can create a scene that is both intense and funny.

For the majority of Jojo Rabbit, Jojo is certain that everything the Nazis told him about the Jews is true, however, after meeting Elsa, he soon realises that they were wrong. After he discovers the Jewish girl hiding in his attic, he's more afraid than she is. Because he doesn't want to get his mother into trouble for hiding a Jew, Jojo agrees to keep Elsa safe and asks that she reveals secrets about Jews for his book. This leads to an unlikely friendship forming between the two.

The strongest aspect of Jojo Rabbit is Davis, who leaves a lasting impression with his portrayal of the titular character. It is definitely one of the best performances I've seen from a child recently. Equally as impressive is McKenzie as Elsa who is witty and outsmarts Jojo. Waititi's portrayal of Hitler is one of the many highlights of the film. Although he doesn't have much screen time, I think that Archie Yates delivered a memorable performance as Jojo's friend, Yorki, and had a few amusing one-liners. Solid supporting roles come from Johansson as Jojo's mother, Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf, an Army officer who runs a Hitler Youth camp, Alfie Allen as Finkel, the second-in-command to Captain Klenzendorf and Rebel Wilson as Fräulein Rahm, a brutish instructor in the Hitler Youth camp.

Following its recent release in the UK, Jojo Rabbit has received two nominations at the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Davis. It's also currently nominated at the BAFTAs for six awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Waititi and Best Supporting Actress for Johansson, and I can imagine it being nominated at this year's Academy Awards. 

By combining tongue-in-cheek comedy with touching drama, Jojo Rabbit showcases Taika Waititi at his best and features an impressive lead performance from Roman Griffin Davis.

8/10

DUNKIRK REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

While Dunkirk is classed as a 'war film', its tone and style are similar to that of a high-octane thriller. This is director/writer Christopher Nolan's most serious film to date and, despite its July release date, will surely be remembered once the Academy Awards roll around next year. Last year, Mel Gibson released Hacksaw Ridge which was a war film based on a soldier who refused to kill or even hold a gun. It was a huge success and received four nominations and won two including Best Film Editing and Best Achievement in Sound Mixing. Because Dunkirk fully captures the horrors of World War II through Nolan's unique vision, I can't imagine it walking away empty handed at the Academy Awards next year.

World War II was fought primarily in three places, on land, in the air and at sea. Dunkirk takes a similar approach, choosing to tell three different stories from each of these distinct point of views. On the beach, we follow a young soldier, Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), as he struggles to survive and get home. In the air, a pilot, Farrier (Tom Hardy), focuses on shooting enemy planes down to try and stop them from bombing ships that are taking the soldiers home. At sea, a sailor, Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance), takes his boat to try and pick up soldiers from Dunkirk. Meanwhile, Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) is on the pier to make sure the soldiers are evacuated via the ships safely. This is all presented in a non-linear narrative which leads to an emotional conclusion.

I can't think of a better person to direct and write this other than Nolan. In the past, he has proven himself to be a master at both directing and writing with films such as Memento, Inception and The Dark Knight proving to be huge successes, both at the box office and with critics and audiences alike. His previous film, Interstellar, was a science-fiction masterpiece with stunning visual effects and an thought-provoking narrative at the centre. Of course, because of all this, there was a lot of pressure for Nolan to create a war film that's recreats WWII effectively. Fortunately, he has succeeded. I think that this is the best war film since Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Unlike the aforementioned film, Dunkirk has very little gore. Most of the shock factor comes from the bomb explosions and the reactions from the soldier's faces. Seeing them struggling to survive is heartbreaking as we know not everyone survive. 

Nolan has said that the two films he studied before making Dunkirk were the 1953 drama, Wages of Fear, and the 1994 thriller, Speed. Having seen the latter film, I can see the similarities. Like Speed, Dunkirk is fast paced and involves the lives of innocent people being at risk. Despite the characters being underdeveloped, we still feel for them and want them to survive, especially Whitehead's Tommy, who is a 19 year old soldier who wants to get home but this doesn't stop him from helping others. Most directors would've chosen an older and more experienced actor for this role, however, Nolan chose Whitehead as he was the same age as the soldier he plays in the film. I think this was a good decision as he gives an impressive performance in his debut film. Tommy is brave and smart and someone we hope will make it back home. Alongside him, former member of boyband One Direction, Harry Styles gives a solid performance as Alex. When I first heard that Styles had been cast in this film, I was annoyed as I knew this would mean a lot of his fans, who are mainly young girls, will see it purely for him and will take the focus away from the film itself. His fans may be disappointed to learn that this isn't Styles' film, he is mainly one of thousands of soldiers that feature in this film.

Speaking of performances, apart from Whitehead, there's no stand-out. However, there's not a bad performance to be found. Dunkirk features a lot of well-known names including Harry Styles, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy to name a few. Hardy gives an understated performance as the pilot determined to shoot the enemy planes down. Rylance gives a great performance as Mr. Dawson as the sailor who, along with his two teenage sons, performs a selfless act by rescuing many soldiers who are stranded at sea. He soon picks up Murphy's character who is simply credited as 'Shivering Soldier'. Murphy is effective in this role as we can clearly see how much the war has had an impact on him and when he finds out that Mr. Dawson is heading towards Dunkirk, where he's just escaped from, he panics as he worries that they'll all die out there. Director Nolan knows how to get the best out of every actor and this clearly shows in Dunkirk. I don't think that there'll be any Best Actor nominations at the Academy Awards as there's no lead performance. 

I've seen a few comments criticising the lack of female characters that feature in Dunkirk. The only females seen in this film are nurses and this shouldn't be a criticsm because, at the time when this film took place in 1950, women were seen as mothers and nurses and nothing more than that. They would stay at home to look after the children and the majority of them didn't even have jobs. It's not bad writing as this is literally what society was like 77 years ago. 

Although I didn't see this in IMAX, it still had a major impact on me. The sound of the bomb explosions and gunfire were extremely loud and lead to many jump scares. A soldier could be walking down a street and, all of sudden, gun fire would start out of nowhere. The sound was incredibly effective as I felt like I was in the middle of the war and could feel the soldier's fear. Dunkirk is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Nolan filmed this in its titular location in France. Other filmmakers would've shot in other locations to cut the costs but because Nolan didn't want to cut corners, he chose to film in the same location where the World War II events took place. In this sense, the film seems determined to be as historically accurate as possible and Nolan has succeeded.

What I liked most about Nolan's approach to this film is his lack of computer-generated imagery. While CGI isn't necessarily bad, it can look artificial at times. Nolan chose to use practical effects which meant that all the explosions that featured in the film actually happened which mean that the reactions on the actors' faces are genuine looks of horror. 

Hans Zimmer has frequently collaborated with Nolan and his scores for The Dark Knight, Inception and Interstellar are all stand-outs. His score for Dunkirk is just as intense and is constructed around the ticking of a clock, which happened to be Nolan's pocket watch. Zimmer proves once more why he's one of the greatest composers.

Nolan is known for releasing films that run at over two hours. However, Dunkirk is Nolan's shortest film since his debut, Following, in 1998. His 2002 thriller, Insomnia, was his last film to run at under two hours. Dunkirk has a runtime of 106 minutes. Nolan has said that he wanted the film to be as intense an experience as possible and therefore as lean and as stripped down and short an experience as possible. When it was announced that he would be directing a film based on WWII, a lot of people expected a big, historical epic that ran at three hours long. Nolan revealed that his screenplay was only 76 pages due to the small amount of dialogue in the film. He also said that he 'didn't want the theatrics of people telling the audience why you should care about them'. He also 'wanted them to care just because of the physical situation that they were under'. Fortunately, with that, Nolan has succeeded.

Dunkirk is an emotionally satisfying spectacle and is delivered by Christopher Nolan, a writer and director who is full command of his craft. It's also brought to life by an ensemble cast who all honour this fact-based story. It deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible and is the kind of film that should be taught in history classes, to give the younger generation an idea of what the world was like over 70 years ago.

9/10