Well first, no, I can't say I've ever had that dream before. But I agree that 1917 is excellent.
I make a point to not call every movie I like a "great" film. In fact, I use the term very sparingly. Many movies are good, and some are very good, but to be great you have to be a masterwork.
With that said, I think this is a great film. And with this film, Sam Mendes joins the ranks of the masters.
First, it is a stunning technical achievement. I only noticed two obvious cuts: the first when the camera goes black after the protagonist falls backward on the stairs and the second when he jumps into the river. Other than that, the film to me was seamless, and there's camerawork here that I have no idea how Roger Deakins achieved it. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't get another Oscar.
Second, I was surprised by how emotionally resonant the film is, considering that it is unable to develop characters in the usual way due to its design. Walking in, I largely expected to come out thinking that it was a great film technically, but one that had little emotional core. I was wrong. Thanks to a superb performance from a previously-unknown-to-me George MacKay, this film really got me to FEEL SOMETHING, especially in the back half.
Storywise, it's simple. Frankly, it's video game plotting: Get from point A to point B and complete the quest, while overcoming adversaries along the way. It's also reminiscent, on an obviously much smaller scale, of The Lord of the Rings. But the grand direction and performances, and the stakes involved, make this simple story feel bigger than it is.
I feel like Ford v Ferrari probably stays in my #1 spot for films of 2019, but 1917 is an easy #2 for me.
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jekporkins (1973)
5 years ago
You and I had a similar experience. When Mackenzie tells him to fuck off the look on Schofield's face was mine as well. He went through hell and back to deliver the message, saved thousands of lives, and all he gets is a 'fuck off.'
This movie really resonated with me. It was a technical knockout, but I really found myself caring for everyone in this movie.
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[deleted]
5 years ago
When I viewed that exchange between the corporal and Mackenzie I thought it was fascinating how the two had diametrically different interpretations due to their positions in the war (young vs old, newbie vs veteran, less war experience vs greater war experience). And Mackenzie knew different orders would be upcoming.
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