1917 movie review in tamil

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1917 Review - sheer brilliance!

Published date : 20/jan/2020.

An unmatchable genius piece of art !

Director Sam Mendes’ Golden Globe winning, Oscar nominated war based film ‘1917’ has hit screens worldwide. Starring George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman in pivotal roles, this picture is realism at its peak clubbed with the best of efforts from all the various departments of filmmaking. Why is 1917 such a special film for fans?

The film 1917’s plot dwells on a single motive, that has two purposes right through the 2 hour duration of the film. To put it in simple words, Will Schofield (George Mackay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles), two young British soldiers are assigned an order from General Erinmore in order to stop the attack on the German forces that have incidentally decided to pull back. They have to convey this message to the Devons (British army) and the entire film tracks their travel from the British camp, across no man’s land and into the German encroachment and finally onto the battlefield, where the first wave of attack is about to happen at dawn.

There is another subplot which deals with Tom Blake’s elder brother, who is part of the Devons and all set to participate in the first wave of war against the Germans. Do Tom Blake and Schofield reach Blake’s brother? What happens if only one of them has to trod on for a majority of this realistic and dangerous journey? These are the points touched upon in the latter half of the film that deals with survival, method acting, numerous single shots that may have been cut only when there is darkness and so on.

On paper, though the plot does not seem like rocket science, the shooting process of 1917 by director Sam Mendes is like none other. The number of single shots is astonishingly high and the chemistry between the cinematographer, director and actor requires to be at the best levels that have never been explored before. 1917 is a brilliant piece of art put together grain by grain and hence the product seems so prolific.

Some mention-worthy scenes amidst this beautifully crafted picture include, the falling off of the roof onto Schofield and how Blake helps him out, the copter crash sequence and the extremely well-shot climax scene, that has Schofield running crisscross amidst bomb blasts in order to desperately deliver the message to the Colonel Mackenzie. It is hard to state that only these particular scenes were brilliant in conveying what they set out to, as the emotional quotient works out in every sequence that touches upon the friendship between Blake and Schofield. Another stand out point is the conversation between Schofield and Blake’s brother and these will leave you in tears.

Technically, it is safe to say that 1917 is the best experiment, that proves to have gone right in every department possible. Cinematographer Roger Deakins deserves a lot of awards that he may bag very soon as the entire film is shot in the handheld format with barely any cuts. Music by Thomas Newman is on another level and Sam Mendes the director, deserves due credit for extracting the best out of his technicians and actors in order to provide a unique, ‘hard to beat’ sort of film watching experience.

On the whole, 1917 is that film which you may not want to miss and which you may get only once in a decade. It is no joke to shoot a war film based on the WW1 and do it in such a justifying manner. The best part is that it does not seem like a docu-drama at any point and full credits to the entire team for providing this intense experience that will stay in our hearts for years to come! Go for it with no inhibitions and get enthralled!

Bottomline : An unmatchable genius piece of art in the form of 1917! Do not miss!  Director Sam Mendes and actor George Mackay head this complete 'winner' of a film! Book your tickets to witness shear brilliance!

Rating: 4/5

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Where to Watch

Rent 1917 on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Hard-hitting, immersive, and an impressive technical achievement, 1917 captures the trench warfare of World War I with raw, startling immediacy.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

George MacKay

Lance Corporal Schofield

Dean-Charles Chapman

Lance Corporal Blake

Mark Strong

Captain Smith

Andrew Scott

Lieutenant Leslie

Richard Madden

Lieutenant Joseph Blake

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Common sense media reviewers.

Unique WWI epic has brutal war violence, smoking.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

War is hell. Camaraderie and loyalty can help moti

Blake and Schofield demonstrate incredible courage

Horrors of war are on full display from a first-pe

Masturbation joke.

Strong language throughout, including "bastards,"

One character drinks from flask. Smoking.

Parents need to know that 1917 is an outstanding World War I drama that makes viewers feel like they're experiencing what it might really have been like to be in the trenches on the front lines. Director Sam Mendes wrote the screenplay based on the stories his grandfather told him about being a runner in the…

Positive Messages

War is hell. Camaraderie and loyalty can help motivate people in dire circumstances. You can make headway in the worst situation if you persevere and focus on your goal. Themes include compassion and courage.

Positive Role Models

Blake and Schofield demonstrate incredible courage for the greater good, as well as compassion for others -- including the enemy. Schofield perseveres on his mission, even after being given the opportunity to seek a safer situation.

Violence & Scariness

Horrors of war are on full display from a first-person viewpoint, including being shot at, feeling the fear of the enemy nearby, getting bombed. Climbing over human carcasses, walking past dead animals. A couple of instances of men killing enemies face to face. Many bloody, gory injuries, including missing limbs, men writhing in pain. A soldier unintentionally puts his wounded hand in the open guts of a dead horse when he lands in a bomb crater. Characters are visibly in substantial peril throughout; tons of tension.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language throughout, including "bastards," "piss off," "s--t," several uses of "f--k."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 1917 is an outstanding World War I drama that makes viewers feel like they're experiencing what it might really have been like to be in the trenches on the front lines. Director Sam Mendes wrote the screenplay based on the stories his grandfather told him about being a runner in the British Army. The camera follows the young soldiers in one long tracking shot, making it feel like you're right in the action. Consequently, it all feels very real, and tension runs extremely high. Battle violence is graphically realistic, including shootings, strangling, stabbing, bombings, etc. Wounded soldiers are bloody, missing limbs, and crying in pain. Soldiers smoke (accurate for the era), drink, and use strong language ("f--k," "s--t"). Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth make cameo appearances alongside stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman . To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (46)
• Kids say (130)

Based on 46 parent reviews

Great movie!

What's the story.

During World War I, it's 1917, and British soldiers Schofield ( George MacKay ) and Blake ( Dean-Charles Chapman ) are selected to deliver an urgent message to a nearby battalion. In their high-stakes effort to save 1,600 lives, the runners must themselves survive the journey through enemy territory.

Is It Any Good?

About 15 minutes in to this movie, it dawns on you that this is something uniquely brilliant; by the end, it's clear that Sam Mendes has made one of the best films of 2019. That's largely because of the innovative cinematography: The entire film is one long tracking shot. Of course, there are edits, as imperceptible to viewers as they might be. And, honestly, whether or when the film stopped rolling isn't the point -- it's the effect. As the camera follows the two British runners trying to get across a German-occupied battlefield to deliver their urgent message, it moves around them -- in front, behind, next to, sometimes around a rock or a slightly different route but keeping the soldiers in view. It creates the video game-like feeling that you're the third runner on the mission. The first-person viewpoint transforms the experience of watching 1917 into something intimate, just short of interactive. Cinematographers aren't often household names, but Roger Deakins might just become one thanks to this Herculean accomplishment.

Given that the film is essentially a one-direction journey in which the camera rarely stops rolling, the production design is a real feat. Smoke and mirrors can't possibly exist: We follow Blake and Schofield through a looooooong trench, a maze of a barracks, and French countryside that's ravaged from the wages of war. The actors are all superb, but MacKay will rip your heart out as a low-ranking officer who's resentful of his assignment but rises to see his mission through, no matter the potential sacrifice. Teens may be reluctant to see a movie about World War I, but 1917 could be a game changer: It's hard to imagine anyone won't appreciate its originality, heart, and grit.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about World War I. How was it different from other wars? How have you seen it depicted in the media before? How does 1917 's portrayal of it compare?

Did you find the movie's violence realistic? How does the impact of this kind of violence compare to what you might see in a horror or superhero movie? Why do you think the filmmakers chose to show the violence in this way?

Why do you think the filmmakers chose their unusual camera technique? How did it change your experience as a viewer? Do you think it was effective?

How do the characters demonstrate compassion ? In the heat of war, is compassion a luxury, or a necessity? How do you think Blake should have interacted with the pilot?

Talk about examples of teamwork in the film. Why is it important in the film, and why is it an important skill in real life?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 25, 2019
• On DVD or streaming : March 24, 2020
• Cast : George MacKay , Dean-Charles Chapman , Benedict Cumberbatch
• Director : Sam Mendes
• Studio : Universal Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Great Boy Role Models , History
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Perseverance
• Run time : 110 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violence, some disturbing images, and language
• Awards : BAFTA , Golden Globe
• Last updated : March 30, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

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Movie Reviews

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At a time when it seems as if cinema experiences a new technological breakthrough every few months, it's oddly comforting that moviegoers can still be hooked by a film that's presented as being one unbroken shot. Granted, it's not a new idea, but the concept of an extended single shot, whether the shot is meant to stretch for an entire movie, or just serve as the focus for an especially showy scene, still has the power to excite viewers on some basic level. “1917,” the new film from Sam Mendes , is the latest attempt at the feature-length single-shot approach, and its technical accomplishments cannot be denied. But the film is so obsessed with its particular technique that it doesn’t leave room for the other things we also go to the movies for—little things like a strong story, interesting characters, or a reason for existing other than as a feat of technical derring-do. Sitting through it is like watching someone else playing a video game for two solid hours, and not an especially compelling one at that.

As indicated by the title, “1917” is set amidst the turmoil of World War I and takes place in and around the so-called “no man’s land” in northern France separating British and German troops. Two young corporals, Blake ( Dean-Charles Chapman ) and Schofield ( George MacKay ), are awoken from what could have only been a few minutes of sleep and ordered to report for a new assignment. A few miles away, another company, one that includes Blake’s brother, has planned an attack to commence in a few hours designed to push the Germans back even further following a recent retreat. However, recent intelligence suggests that the retreat is a ruse that will land them in ambush that will cost thousands of British lives. With the radio lines down, Blake and Schofield are ordered to head on foot to that company in order to call off the attack before it can commence, a journey that will force them to travel through enemy territory. Of course, the two have been assured that where they will be crossing is safe enough, but the tension within the soldiers they meet as they get closer to the front, and the recent nature of the carnage they witness when they first go over the top, suggests otherwise. And yet, that first glimpse of the literal Hell on earth they must journey through is only a taste of what they have to endure—at one point, one of them inadvertently plunges a hand recently sliced by barbed wire into the open wound of a corpse and that turns out to be one of the less excruciating moments in store for them.

“1917” essentially wants to do for World War I what “ Saving Private Ryan ” did for World War II and “ Platoon ” did for Vietnam—provide a visceral depiction of the horrors of combat for viewers whose only frame of reference for those conflicts has been history books or other movies. This is not a bad idea for a film, but "1917" never quite comes alive in the way that Mendes presumably hoped, and much of the reason for that is the direct result of how he has deployed to tell his story. Now, I enjoy an extended single-shot sequence that exists solely for a filmmaker to show off their technical finesse, but if I were to make a list of the most effective one-shot sequences, they would be the ones that are so absorbing for other reasons that we don’t even register at first that they have been done in what looks like one long take. Take the famous opening scene in Orson Welles' “ Touch of Evil ,” for example. Yes, it is a technical marvel. But at the same time Welles was pulling off this trick with the aid of cinematographer Russell Metty , he was setting up the story and introducing several of the key characters quickly and efficiently. When he did finally make a cut, it came as a genuine shock.

By comparison, there is hardly a moment to be had in “1917” in which Mendes is not calling out for viewers to notice all the technical brilliance on display. Taken strictly on those terms, the film is undeniably impressive— Roger Deakins is one of the all-time great cinematographers and his work here on what must have been a fiendishly challenging shoot is as impressive as anything he has done. The problem is that the visual conceit can’t help but draw attention to itself throughout, whether it is due to the increasingly showy camera moves or the sometimes awkward methods that are deployed to camouflage the edits and which begin to stick out more and more. (Oddly enough, the most blatantly obvious method used to hide a cut—one of the characters being briefly knocked unconscious—is actually the most dramatically effective of the bunch.) Instead of gradually fading into the background in order to make room for elements of a more dramatic or emotional nature, the distracting technique remains front and center.

Granted, one of the reasons that the visual style ends up dominating the proceedings is because there isn’t really much of anything on hand here that has much chance of stealing focus. The storyline concocted by Mendes and co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns too often feels like an amalgamation of such classic WWI films as "The Big Parade," “All Quiet on the Western Front” and " Paths of Glory ." At certain points, the story stops dead for brief appearances by familiar faces like Colin Firth , Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong in exposition-heavy sequences that feel exactly like the cut scenes that appear between the different levels in video games. 

“1917” is not entirely without interest. This was clearly a fiendishly complicated project to stage and execute and there are some scenes (such as an especially tense one set in a seemingly abandoned shelter that contains a few nasty surprises), that are legitimate knockouts. And yet, for all of its technical expertise, little of it helps viewers to care about the characters or what might happen to them. When all is said and done, "1917" is basically a gimmick film. If that is enough for you, you may admire it for its accomplishments. Personally, I wanted more.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

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1917 (2019)

Rated R for violence, some disturbing images, and language.

119 minutes

George MacKay as Schofield

Dean-Charles Chapman as Blake

Mark Strong as Captain Smith

Andrew Scott as Lieutenant Leslie

Richard Madden as Lieutenant Blake

Benedict Cumberbatch as MacKenzie

• Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Cinematographer

• Roger Deakins
• Thomas Newman

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1917 movie review: Sam Mendes’ film is worth a watch

1917 movie review: in line with recent films on war, 1917 is not celebration of valour or glory, neither is it shy in its portrayal of the grime of it..

1917 movie cast: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong 1917 movie director: Sam Mendes 1917 movie rating: 4 stars

Had it not been for the title of the film and the endless trenches of it, this movie could be about any war. Writers Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns liberate it from history, politics and almost all geography, in turn conveying the sheer pointlessness of any battle but also one of the most devastating wars that mankind has known. World War I had no one villain, no one enemy, and no real victory — and in reality only one consequence, the Second World War.

But even that is not Mendes’s intention here. Shot in a way to convey the impression of a single take, 1917 is about two inconsequential men thrust by circumstances to be heroes. Lance Corporals Blake (Chapman) and Schofield (MacKay) must cross no-man’s land, boobytrapped with trip wires and trenches, with enemy planes flying overhead, to deliver a message to the English front-line to call off a planned assault against German troops. They must push ahead at all costs, as hours are ticking. Blake is chosen as his elder brother’s life is at stake. Schofield, a friend, happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

In line with recent films on war, 1917 is not celebration of valour or glory, neither is it shy in its portrayal of the grime of it. These two young men are scared to their bones. The film suggests at both: their redemption in having a measurable, if minute, goal, amidst thousands dying pointlessly; as well as how non-consequent they must be for being the ones chosen for it.

The way Mendes tells the story, the dash to the front is exhausting and heart-breaking not just for the two. We hold our breath, watch over their shoulders as the two creep and crawl through muddy trenches lined with injured men, avert eyes from abandoned bodies crawling with crows and flies, wonder at the defence planned by the Germans, walk through a valley full of ammunition and destroyed guns, put a hand through a body that has been shot, and suddenly, around a corner, encounter breathless beauty.

A field full of bright-green grass as far as the eye can see, a solitary cow munching in the midst of it, cherry trees shedding white flowers like snow, a stream sparkling with crystalline water — these are worlds far removed from the apocalyptic scenes just round the bend. 1917, nominated for 10 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Director), even brings these two worlds together, none more so than when a soldier sings a breathtaking song in the midst of a forest to troops headed for battle, who are slumped deathly still against trees.

Perhaps the most spectacular scene in 1917 is when Schofield finds himself in the town of Ecoust. In how cinematographer Roger Deakins (a multiple Oscar nominee) illuminates the small town in the light of mortar shells, orange and white, light and shadow, you see both the magnificence and the ruin of it. Schofield meets a German soldier here across the fountain of the town square, two small, indistinguishable men clashing against a world set ablaze.

Mendes, who credits his father who served in World War I for these stories, can’t seem though to resist the lure of touching upon all of them. Towards the end, the film drags, packs in an unconvincing scene with a French girl and a child, and with an accented Indian Sikh soldier, as well as an unnecessary one of a casualty ward, and seems not ready to call an end to Schofield’s suffering. MacKay’s pale face and harrowing eyes are haunting, and the star cast that turns up for bit parts (Firth, Scott, Cumberbatch, Strong) seems a jarring indulgence in a film that so values its small people.

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‘1917’ is tense, captivating, meticulous, horrifying and stirring.

1917 Movie Review: An Exceptional Achievement

• Times of India

1917 - Official Trailer

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Roger Deakins

Stuart Wilson

Mark_Taylor

Guillaume Rocheron

Golden globe awards.

Kaushik Biswas 3330 807 days ago

This is one of the fantastic movie I have ever see in my entire life, it's a magic, I still think how many had work need to make this type of movie?

sanjutiwari 1059 days ago

88ln k7<br/>Ukil

Sumair Sumair 1064 days ago

Rahul nagpal 1113 days ago.

Speaking directly, not the best war movie but good to watch because it's about the heroic acts of the great soldiers &amp; they are 10/5.

Subhrayu Mondal 1172 days ago

One of the best war movie. Must watch for war movie lovers.

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• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
• The song ‘Yamma yamma’ from ‘Shaan’ is sampled in the song ‘Partywali Night' for the film.

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1917 review – Sam Mendes turns western front horror into a single-shot masterpiece

This phantasmagoric first world war nightmare from the British director is ambitious and unshakeable storytelling

• Steve Rose on why pacifist war movies are on the march

S am Mendes’s 1917 is an amazingly audacious film ; as exciting as a heist movie, disturbing as a sci-fi nightmare. Working with co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, he has created a first world war drama of the Western Front and a terrible journey undertaken by two boys like a ghost train ride into a day-lit house of horror, periodically descending into night and then resurfacing into an alien world, bright with menace.

And it’s filmed in one extraordinary single take by cinematographer Roger Deakins, a continuous fluid travelling shot (with digital edits sneaked in, evidently at those moments where we lose sight of them, or in moments of darkness or explosion – but where exactly, I mostly couldn’t tell) .

Mendes shows us what these soldiers see and sometimes wheels the camera around so we can see them seeing it: a gruelling odyssey whose trench scenes are perhaps intended to recall Kubrick’s Paths of Glory – and later our stricken hero enunciates a panicky line in the midst of his terrified comrades that reminded me of something similar from Apocalypse Now: “Where’s your commanding officer?” (The single-take horror also reminded me of the TV director in that film, frantically telling the numbed grunts not to look at the camera. I wonder if this might have inspired Mendes?)

The situation is that Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) are lance corporals – and messengers. These men, like the rest of their company, have been lulled into a false sense of security by what appears to have been a German retreat, and an imminent “big push” from the Allied forces to clinch victory.

But the gruff General (Colin Firth) tells them that aerial photo reconnaissance has disclosed that so far from having retreated, the Germans have simply withdrawn to a position where they are better defended, luring their enemy onward into a trap. Now another British division is about to advance into certain slaughter. Field telephone communication having been cut off, the only way to tell them to call off their attack is via messenger. And so these two shivering soldiers have to make their way across no man’s land, across the abandoned German lines, through (supposedly) vacated German territory and as far as the advancing Allied troops.

Blake and Schofield travel through a postapocalyptic landscape, a bad dream of broken tree stumps, mud lakes left by shell craters, dead bodies, rats. And then when they stumble into the German trenches, they discover how much better built they are, and how much better quipped, trained and led the Germans are – and how much they are more likely to win.

But they must carry on, and Mendes and Deakins convey, along with these men’s sense of futility and fear, the strange nausea and exhilaration that Blake and Schofield feel, the nihilist elation that comes with the moment-by-moment experience of survival, fiercely holding on to life with every eardrum-splitting sniper shot. But ahead of them lies chaos and loss.

The most extraordinary sequence comes when a German airman crash lands almost on top of Blake and Schofield and there is a moment of simple human compassion when the German staggers out of his blazing craft, dying and begging for water. Schofield runs to get him some from a rusty pump and behind his back – behind the audience’s backs – the story’s most fateful event occurs, off camera. It’s a staggeringly bold bit of storytelling, and it comes off.

The single-take technique fascinatingly creates a kind of theatrical effect: the spectacle of two people moving through an unbroken space. It is immersive, yes, but that overused word does not quite convey the paradoxical alienation that is being created: the distance, the pure strangeness. The two men’s experiences are bizarre and shocking, but a poignant and then tragic sympathy is finally dredged up from the mud of their ordeal.

1917 is Mendes’s most purely ambitious and passionate picture since his misunderstood and underappreciated Jarhead of 2005. It’s bold, thrilling film-making. 1917 is released in the US on 25 December, in Australia on 7 January 2020 and in the UK on 10 January 2020.

• Colin Firth
• Benedict Cumberbatch
• First world war

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1917 Movie Review: One of the greatest 'anti-war' films of all time 

Rating: ( 4.5 / 5).

There is symmetrical beauty in how 1917 starts and ends. The green fields beaten down by the rays of the evening sun provide a warmth that promises a lush future in store. The blooming cherries provide a sense of calm. But more importantly, it is the eyes that are both closed and open at these differing points, that provide you with a pathway to gaze into the soul of those on screen. There, within those eyes, lie worlds. Behind those eyes, lie stories.

Life is a cycle of birth and death, according to religion. They say history repeats itself. Have you noticed how philosophical conversations have a cyclical nature about them? 1917 is a film that, at one particular midpoint, can begin to be seen as two distinct films. One which moves forward and one which moves backward. Both follow a circular trajectory, that is influenced by a clear up and down cycle, but both end at the start and begin at the end. The film is a bit like that mythical Norse beast Jörmungandr, the world serpent, which, when it leaves its grasp on its tail, triggers the start of Ragnarok, better known as the end of the world as we know it. Cast: George McKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong Director: Sam Mendes

It is important to keep this in mind because a man, when pushed deep into the reality of war, faces his own mortality like none other. In the case of Lance Corporal Will Schofield (a brilliant George McKay), the world he knows is at its end. In the larger scheme of things, he is but an unnamed soldier but to him, his life is all there is. That is why he sells his valour medal for a piece of wine. "It is just a bloody tin," he quips. But to his companion Lance Corporal Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), "it might be just a bloody tin, but it has got a ribbon on it." In a crumbling world (literally and figuratively) around them, Will scoffs at this optimism. There is no place for it in war. "Hope is a dangerous thing," he reminds us, ominously, unlike how it’s contrastingly used in The Shawshank Redemption.

There is something both terrifyingly beautiful and beautifully terrifying about 1917 . The soldier in the first world war was not only fighting the human but also the elements of nature itself. A momentous shot late in the movie comes when Schofield is looking at a town in flames. A town that when he entered was just filled with the human dead, the charred ground and worn down walls. As the screen fills with the blazing inferno, Schofield is transfixed in awe and shock in equal amounts. But what elevates this shot is the presence of a waterless fountain, which appears at once like both a chess piece as well as the holy cross. Is Schofield just a pawn in this long chess game? Or is he the hope and salvation that is passing through the fires of Hades to deliver upon the promised land?

For, Schofield and Blake are messengers. Like Pheidippides, they are tasked with covering the required distance on foot. Unlike the marathon runner though, theirs is not a message of victory, but of caution. While the narrative seems seemingly straightforward, the film is rarely but. Enough has been written about Roger Deakins over years but 1917 truly is a love letter by Deakins to cinema, and you could say, to himself and to the very craft of cinematography. Francois Truffaut once said that no war movie can truly be anti-war because even the latter kind of cinema still valorises combat subconsciously. Yet in Deakins’ work, you are but a mere watcher of the journey of two men who go beyond enemy lines to stop war from happening.

The camera nudges you. It wants you to look at two things on the screen at the same time. Yet when you do, the camera shudders wondering what is coming next. The camera raises its head ever so slightly to get a peek of what is to come. Yet it fully knows that when you raise your head, your immediate horizon widens significantly. One particular scene, with some of the best work in years from Thomas Newman, reminds you immediately of that ingenius shot in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly when Ecstasy of Gold debuts. The camera is not just Deakins. It is you. It is you who are transported to the trenches and the battlefields of World War I.

And it is precisely because of this reason that 1917 is so breathless and exhausting. When an unknown soldier sings in the woods behind the Hindenburg line, "I am a poor wayfaring stranger," I couldn't but help think of George RR Martin's famous monologue from A Feast of Crows , "The broken man lives from day to day, from meal to meal, more beast than man. In times like these, the traveller must beware of broken men, and fear them . . . but he should pity them as well." That the last refuge of empathy lies at the end of a barrel of gun is probably what makes living so frustrating but worthwhile too. It has been a century since the end of World War I, but love, more than fear, is still the greatest weapon in our arsenal. It’s wise to constantly remember that.

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• What is the release date of '1917'? Release date of Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch starrer '1917' is 2020-01-17.
• Who are the actors in '1917'? '1917' star cast includes Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden and Mark Strong.
• Who is the director of '1917'? '1917' is directed by Sam Mendes.
• Who is the producer of '1917'? '1917' is produced by Ricardo Marco Bude,Pippa Harris,Sam Mendes,Brian Oliver.
• What is Genre of '1917'? '1917' belongs to 'Drama,War' genre.
• In Which Languages is '1917' releasing? '1917' is releasing in English.

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‘Star’ Review: Kavin, Elan’s coming-of-age film falls short of excellence

Director elan’s much-awaited film, ‘star’, starring kavin, lal and aaditi phankar, is a coming-of-age movie about a youngster who aspires to become an actor. the struggles and the curveballs that life throws at him are what ‘star’ is all about. read our review..

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• Director Elan and actor Kavin's 'Star' released in theatres on May 10
• The coming-of-age film is about a youngster who aspires to become an actor
• The film, despite having potential to be an excellent film, has some shortcomings

Release Date: 10 May, 2024

2024 has been particularly dull for Tamil cinema. Except for one of two, none of the movies that hit theatres managed to create an impact. However, Kavin’s ‘Star’ was one such film, which piqued everyone’s curiosity, thanks to Yuvan Shankar Raja’s killer music and the brilliantly cut trailer. Will director Elan manage to impress the audience again after his debut film, ‘Pyaar Prema Kadhal’? Let’s find out!

Kalai (Kavin) loves cinema and the influence comes from his supportive father (Lal), who is a photographer. From selling tickets to Thalaivar Rajinikanth’s films to taking photos with cut-outs of him, Vijay and Ajith, Kalai does everything that a cinephile and an aspiring actor would do. He also goes to an engineering college to know that cinema is his true love, much like many youngsters.

He starts working towards it with great support from his family (except his mother), friends and girlfriend. When he gets an inch closer to achieving his dream, life throws a curveball at him. This destroys his confidence and takes him away from the cinema. How he re-discovers his zeal and runs towards his dream forms the story.

The coming-of-age film by director Elan chronicles Kalai’s life from 1989 to 2015 and beyond that. Elan’s story is so relatable as we would have all come across that one friend who hails from a middle-class background but wants to make it big in cinema. And it’s still so fascinating as cinema is one of the prime modes of entertainment. It is because of these factors that ‘Star’ generated positive buzz months before its release.

However, ‘Star’ remains superficial despite having so much potential. The struggles that Kalai goes through don’t linger. The screenplay feels rushed, and it jumps from one emotional scene to another without giving the audience time to process it. That said, certain moments in ‘Star’ do grab your attention. Be it Kalai and his father’s camaraderie or his banter with his mother (Geetha Kailasam), the emotions are conveyed beautifully. The portions where Kalai goes to an acting school in Mumbai add much-needed gravitas to his struggle.

The main grouse with ‘Star’ is that the story meanders to a different tangent in the second half, which gives in to many clichés. While the first half stays true to the genre and Kavin’s dream, the second half lags because of this tonal shift. While it's justified that it is also Kalai’s struggle, it subverts the feeling it created in the first half.

After a while, the struggles become superficial. We get to see the Kalai’s problems in familial life and mental health, but not how the cinema industry functions, especially when a newcomer is trying to break in without solid backing.

The makers of ‘Star’ promised three surprises in the film. And all the three surprises become our favourite moments in the film. They become proper theatrical comments, which would evoke apllause and screams.

Kavin’s performance as Kalai works well for ‘Star’. It is mostly effective and also shows he has improved as a performer. It is Lal, who plays Pandian, who has our hearts with his act. Preity Mukundhan, who played Meera Malarkodi, has a great screen presence and her chemistry with Kavin is laudable.

Aaditi Pohankar does the classic ‘loosu ponnu’ (read: bubbly naïve girl) role with much conviction. She also scores in some of the emotional sequences.

Composer Yuvan Shankar Raja is the backbone of ‘Star’. His songs and background music elevate the film in many places. While they work as a standalone album, sometimes, his music forces us to feel the emotion. Cinematographer Ezhil Arasu’s frames took us back to the 90s and 2000s. Editing by Pradeep E Ragav complimented the vision of the filmmaker.

‘Star’ could have been a great coming-of-age film about an aspiring actor. However, it ended up as a showreel more than a emotional and inspiring documentation of his life.