1917 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Nathan Swank
April 13th, 2020
If you are a regular to Flix66, you already know how much we love 1917. While we haven’t written an official review until now, the film has topped my Ten Best Movies of 2019 list and made the cut in our Top Ten Movies of the 2010s. But since the film will finally receive a wide release for all to see this weekend, I wanted to give a proper treatment to express why everyone should see this masterpiece on the big screen.
Set during the First World War, two young British soldiers (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) are tasked with an almost impossible mission. With no way of communicating through radio, the soldiers must race against time across enemy territory to deliver a message to stop a deadly attack that will save hundreds of soldiers.
Director Sam Mendes pieced the screenplay together with co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns through stories that his grandfather told him. Mendes’s vision of expressing the story through a seemingly single shot in a nearly real time war atmosphere makes for a visceral experience.
I’ve always been a big fan of Peter Weir’s GALLIPOLI from 1981 starring Mel Gibson. Also set during the First World War, GALLIPOLI follows a couple of Australian sprinters whose jobs were to pass information between officers to know that their command was on the same page. The idea of passing messages by human rather than electronic transmission in this day an age, when nearly every person alive has their own cell phone, is mind blowing. 1917 has taken this critical element within war life and turned it up several notches.
Roger Deakins is inarguably one of the greatest cinematographers of all time. He may have topped even himself with one of the most amazing cinematography jobs on screen that we’ve ever seen. I hate speaking hyperbole as it only can raise expectations to a height of being disappointed. But I can’t help myself, as every movement is picturesque with incredible camera work and lighting, making the audience feel as if they are in this walking nightmare of heroism.
Sam Mendes’s choice to give the film the look of one continuous take has never been more appropriate. The effect is mind blowing. While we’ve seen the technique terrifically used a handful of times over the years, most recently in the Oscar winning BIRDMAN, it has never been done quite so effectively.
Mendes’s longtime collaborator, and one of my personal favorites, Thomas Newman composed the score for 1917. This in addition to set design, costuming, makeup, effects design, sound editing, and whatever film element I’m leaving off come together for a visual feat of perfection.
Mark Strong, Richard Madden, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch all pop up in very brief and intricall supporting roles. But the focus simply follows our two lesser known leads who represent every unnamed soldier that are all thrust into heroic leadership during wartime.
It’s amazing to think that twenty years ago Sam Mendes won the Oscar for best director and Best Picture for the AMERICAN BEAUTY. After many great films that have followed (ROAD TO PERDITION, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, AWAY WE GO, SKYFALL) I believe he is finally primed for a second.
I’m not sure why, but The First World War gets far less film treatment than WWII, which is another reason why 1917 feels fresh. It’s a good reminder of how important the individual soldier can be in war.
The one-shot technique utilizing a clever real time perspective creates an urgent non-stop intensity of danger and exhaustion. 1917 is an incredible technical accomplishment and it’s an emotionally moving story that demands to be seen on the big screen.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: The first time I saw 1917 was on an awards screener and at the time, I was happy to see the film early and didn’t stop and think what an injustice a low quality DVD was this incredible film. But seeing it on 4K is a treat. This is a stunning presentation from start to finish with new details and color depth evident throughout. The most notable was towards the end during the night scenes. The dimly lit screen had brief pops of color that just weren’t noticeable on any other format.
Audio: Perhaps equally impressive as the video presentation, the Dolby Atmos track adds another level of impressiveness to this film.
Commentary with Sam Mendes: Mendes gives a great commentary, almost completely making up for the lackluster extras on the disc. He discusses every aspect of the film and it’s clear he has a true passion for the movie he made.
Commentary with Roger Deakins: Not quite as immersive as the Mendes commentary, but Deakins gets a lot more technical and focuses on the making-of aspects of how the film was shot.
Featurettes: Five featurettes in total, all of which focus on a making-of aspect of the film. The most interesting focuses on the story, but it also has a lot of overlap with the Mendes commentary.
