a review of 1917

Wow, that was intense. Sam Mendes delivered a fine piece of cinema with 1917. I loved his American Beauty back when it was released in 1999. After that I only saw his Road to Perdition (2002) and Jarhead (2005), which I thought were okay, but they didn't leave a big impression. 1917 delivered the goods again though. 1917's environment designs are hauntingly beautiful, and the continuous camera movement gives you a heightened sense of involvement. Although it feels like the film was shot in one take, it was clear that a number of shots were filmed in front of a green screen, to facilitate a transition. But that wasn't bothersome. I noticed multiple references to Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, such as [SPOILER ALERT!] ... . . . the German soldier using his knife after he was trusted, the panicking wounded, pale soldier who needed to be comforted, and the brother who needed to be found. This is one of those films that needs to be seen in a movie theatre for the full impact, but as I write this review the theaters are closed because of the corona virus outbreak.