One really neat thing about this movie: the two leads are played by actors who were virtually unknown to the general audience, but has a load of minor characters played big big Hollywood names, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch. This lends them an immediate sense of gravitas as characters, and it immediately makes you take them seriously.
It's also always a little bit of a spoiler when it starts off showing the main character as a big name. You KNOW they aren't going to die at least until the climax.
All those minor characters played by recognizable actors were officers. It was deliberate to grant a gravitas to the officers in the movie who definitely stood out to the enlisted men at the time.
If you pay close attention at 1:00 you can hear one of the soldier yell "twenty second". The order to stand down is declared by the major at 1:19. ONE second before the charge. If that's not tension idk what is
He was absolutely right though. The generals would call off attacks one day, only for them to go over the top the next. It really goes to show that despite the insane journey that lead our main character through to here was basically pointless. The men he saved that day would likely die tomorrow at the orders of the man who saved them.
@@TzunSu Um, and what's the alternative? You have to advance the front somehow. The issue was that in 1914 defensive technology had outstripped that of the offense. In other words, there was no way to conduct an offensive without suffering huge casualties. Also, Machine guns weren't even the #1 cause of casualties in WWI, Artillery was.
@@henrypulleine8750 yes but innovative doesn’t mean success rate 100% of the time. Solutions didn’t fall into their hands every time they needed it. So yes, often times, large offensives could’ve resulted in mass casualties.
@@taoliu3949 Not knowing too much about history or military tactics, my layman guess would be not to attack (at least not en masse). Hold the lines and know that every German/Austrian attack is costing them tenfold of what it is costing you. Keep shelling and perhaps order some smaller scale saboteur attacks when the opportunity presents itself. Let the enemy run out of supplies and money, and then either attack, or try to negotiate.
That advice the officer gave Schofield earlier in the movie to “make sure there are witnesses when you deliver the letter” was spot on. As we can see here, MacKenzie would have almost certainly dismissed Schofield without hesitation (letter or no letter) had there been nobody else with him in the room at the time.
this is kind of why i was upset that the whole conflict between him and mackenzie lasted a moment, and was really not as engaging as it could have been. The set up by the officer earlier in the movie made it seem like this would be THE conflict in the third act of the film. Not a last pebble in the road, which is what this scene kind of felt like.
To be fair to the Commander, he’s got probably one of the toughest jobs ever. Forced to send young men to their deaths time and again by high command, he sees an opportunity for a decisive victory, and end the war swiftly, only to be told he has to stop. This was the attitude of many of the local commanders in the war, especially by this stage, everyone was just tired, 3 years of grinding pointless fighting, over the same exact territory, back and forth, for three years. High Command by contrast, were very disconnected from it all, usually several miles from the front lines, they rarely saw what the men on the ground went through. Black Adder parodies this very well, with a scene of a High Marshal sweeping army figures off a large map table. Now while realistically the High Commanders were likely not THAT callous, it IS a good representation of what was happening. To High Command, the war was pieces and lines on a map… while to the local commanders, it was men’s lives by the THOUSANDS. The Commanders attitude here is 100% accurate, certainly if I was in his shoes, and some Lance Corporal arrived as I was on the verge of a decisive victory (in my mind at least), and said I needed to call off the attack, I’d be pissed too.
Mackenzie wasn't a bloodthirsty glory hound. He'd been fighting the war since 1914. He'd seen his men get killed and maimed. He just wanted the damn war to be over and thought he had a chance to make it happen.
I’ve never seen the movie but I doubt His victory wouldn’t have ended the war, his victory would have most likely just won a single battle in the war and would have just moved the goal post closer
@@AJxxxxxxxx true, but many on both sides believed that if they could achieve breakthrough in one place, crack the trenchline (not just the first layer of trenches, but the entire network), they would be able to keep pushing because the enemy wouldn't have the positions that caused the war to bog down, and wouldn't have time to dig in as deeply.
@@WeissWhite If it was 1914 or 1915 then maybe but Colonel's aren't born Colonel's, a Colonel in 1917, fought their way to the top, they know what war and death are, they've experienced it, for three bloody years, and they've undoubtably lost many friends.
I think the most tragic thing about this movie is how ultimately irrelevant this was when one takes the whole war into consideration. The movie is amazing, very epic and it portrays how two men save thousands of lives. But then you remember this was just one battle on one front of a war that raged for four years and where millions died. The movie shows how tremendous their deed was while, with the context, making the sheer scope of the whole war become unimaginable to us.
And considering that the movie is very clearly summer “1917” and the war famously went on until fall 1918. That’s over a full year of suffering even after this potential break through which just shows how far from victory the Entente was at the time.
Yes, it was perhaps most completely pointless in the grand scheme of the war, but most of us are not nihilists, so we should all understand the true value & worth of their efforts; without this oppressing context of meaninglessness, if he died along with 10 other helpers supporting him along the way trying to & successfully saving all these people, the weight of the loss would still be just as eclipsed in the final calculation of the morality of the operation
Loved this plot twist - you're led to believe the Colonel Mackenzie is one of those old school soldiers who wants glory regardless of the cost or losses to his men but in fact he's a veteran who's seen too much senseless slaughter firsthand and just wanted the war to end but realises the commands on both sides are stubborn, illogical and uncaring to the suffering "there's only one way this war ends - last man standing". He wanted so desperately to end it with one attack but realised the cycle would continue "hope is a dangerous thing". Love how you only really see his scar until the camera pans close after he's read the letter and called off the attack. He's just as broken and suffered as much as the others around him. Brilliant scene in a brilliant movie.
I disagree...he wasn't blood thirsty but just tired of the war...saw a chance to end it...he said a letter would come week later to attack...most likely it did...he just wanted the end and saw the attack as one ...
2:27 : So underrated and powerful: as a veteran Major, Hepburn waits for Schofield to give him a moment of peace and humanity, no salute, no ranks, just a sincere humane "well done lad" telling Schofield that he sees not only the uniform. but the individual human being.
And he could see that that human being had been through 7 different layers of shit to get there. He needed the break. I'm so glad I went see this movie in theaters.
As a former enlisted, there’s a distinct respect to be formed for officers that make personal gestures despite the difference in rank and years in service.
0:33 the atmosphere drooped when schofield said "they planned this sir" changed the colonels mind from hope of ending the war to dire and utter realization that he had been played was amazing and all the soilders hearing the attack was off while schofield was running through the trench must have been petrified with a choice attack or dont
Me watching this movie: "Whoa. This is incredible. The way it's edited to make it look like one continuous shot is amazing. The sets and effects are spot-on, and... Hey! Is that Benedict Cumberbatch?"
But then he told a nugget of truth. In WWI, there is never a permanent "stand down" until the end if the war. There is only the next order to attack, which could come literally the next day, hell the next hour.
I could hardly breathe after the movie and it was a horrible feeling to experience. It felt I lost someone that I loved but I didn’t lose my great grandfather after the Second World War luckily he survived. I miss him even though I was born a year after he died in 2001. It’s 21 years this year 😭 1917 - 2001 ❤️
@@Josephgmark7360 Thanks, I never got to meet him but I do love him because he survived the Second World War and he was married to my Nana for 46 years
Schofield will most likely get told off by his RSM for losing his rifle and kit when he gets back to his battalion. He doesn't appear to be wounded sufficiently to escape that.
@@stevekaczynski3793 I think the fact he successfully delivered the message as ordered would counteract any accusations of cowardice, as it’s obvious he continued on to deliver the message on time despite loosing his only means of defending himself effectively
@@Swarm509 Yes, there would be. But every man is issued a specifically numbered rifle, it is recorded in the Battalion orderly files. If that rifle is 'lost', it has to be reported to the Regimental Quartermaster and an indent filed for a replacement. The amount of paperwork a single company could generate was mind-numbing
Knowing that first wave that charged is most likely dead is chilling. Yeah it sucks you couldn’t save them, but you just saved an entire army from being wiped out.
nonsense they were not even that far away from the trenches when recalled most of them likely returned and lived to fight another day. They wouldn't have even reached the enemy line of guns yet. He arrived just in time.
@@dbz9393 They actually did reach the enemy line. Right before this scene, as the two guards are holding Schofield back, a soldier walks into the HQ and announced "Colonel! We've seen flares, the men on the left flank have reached the German lines."
I like the small details on Colonel Mackenzie's uniform, his campaign and medal ribbons worn on the right of chest tell a unique story; he was a veteran of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War in South Africa as he was awarded the King's South Africa and Queen's South Africa medals, along with a Distinguished Service Order Medal, and the King George V Coronation Medal. He was more than likely in South Africa from 1899-1902 (Queen's South Africa), and after 1902 (King's South Africa Medal). A character such as this saw action when the water-cooled machinegun was still a new concept to the battlefield. I just find subtle designs like this all the more interesting when they're implemented into historical films.
The real 2nd Devons were almost wiped out in 1918 at the 3rd Battle of Aisne. The Regiment was awarded the Bois des Buttes Battle Honour and awarded the French Croix de Guerre for their actions. It is still worn on the uniform of its successor Regiment The RIFLES Regiment.
I remember in the cinema seeing this for the first time, I was SO relieved when he said "stand them down" ! Thought for all the world that he was going to proceed with the attack !
1917 is both an excellent war film, and an excellent cinematic experience. A great colour palette, combined with one continuous cinematic shot; makes for one of my favourite films of all time.
Somebody else commented this, but I really do think this is just so incredible. At 1:00 you can faintly hear somebody outside yell "20 seconds", (as in 20 seconds before they start the attack). Then precisely 19 seconds later, the order to stand down is given. 1 second short of an attack that would have killed them all. Wow.
@@FridayFroths lol. You received justified criticism and you're so thin skinned that you can't even admit you're wrong? Lmao. Now i suggest you go back to the video, play it at 1:00 and try to hear anything there. Then play it at 0:58 and hear the actual line. Then do some math between 1:19 and 0:58 and see if your nice theory still holds.
@@hoarder1919 Doesn't matter, it's still great attention to detail. The attack wouldn't have any momentum, they're still going to stand down barely in time. If anything this makes it more realistic and believable.
One of the things that people tend to forget about a scene like this is that Lance Cpl. Schofield was actually more likely to survive the war than Colonel Mackenzie. The odds of being killed as an ordinary soldier were about 1 in 10, while the odds of being killed as an officer were closer to 1 in 5 or 6. In fact, 232 British *generals* were killed or wounded in action, about 19% of those who served at that rank. The Prime Minister's son died fighting as an officer, and so did 24 members of the House of Lords. At one point in 1915, three division commanders out of about 40 were killed in one week, prompting the HQ to issue orders that senior (Corps and Division) commanders should not place themselves so directly in the line of fire when commanding, because they were actually running low and there wasn't enough time to train up new ones. And casualty rates for field and company grade officers like Mackenzie were even higher...
It’s been long understood in the army, one good battle could see vast advancement of rank during war time, long standing morbid joke, if we make it to the end of this battle we all might be generals
I remember a line in the game Companybof Heroes where a German commander remarked somewhere along the lines that British Officers were pompous, but will almost always lead from the front and in the thick with the men. Given the courage Britain fields from time to time, I'm inclined to believe.
0:53 One subtle detail I just noticed: the Colonel's eyes are well lit as he looks at Schofield. The moment he tilts his head down and opens up the letter, the upper half of his face is shrouded in darkness -- as if the very contents of the letter seeped into his eyes to warn him of what lay ahead. It's beautiful imagery like this that got the movie nominated for so many Oscars.
One thing I appreciate about this scene is that you get a sense that Benedict Cumberbatch's character isn't exactly the bloodthirsty general he's infamous for. I think this scene reveals that the general just strives for some sort of finality, hoping for glory. It's almost like he just wants it to be over one way or another.
I think it plays on the British propaganda that proposed “the war will be over by Christmas”. Mackenzie would have most likely been reassured by Army Command that the fighting would be estimated for a few months providing he follows orders. And here he is 3 years later, watched countless soldiers under his command run out of a trench and never come back or died right before his eyes and he’s still receiving the same bullshit orders. It’s a great character development that shows how exhausted those on the front were and how quickly the command was willing to pass off their own Colonels as crazed lunatics.
There's something to be said about 2:40, when Schofield tells the Major, "I was sent here with his brother," and the Major just says, "...Ah." Seeing only Schofield there, he immediately knows that Blake's brother didn't make it.
I love how much they leave unsaid, as both of them would know exactly the reality of the war and the current circumstances they find themselves in. The Major tells him to check the casualty clearing unit, "otherwise..." and we all know what the "otherwise..." means...
The British chain of command was woefully inflexible in ww1 (it carried into ww2). I feel for Mckenzie in this respect. The British came so close to major breakthroughs in 1916 and 17 but the chain of command didn’t allow for more junior officers to make decisions on the ground that could press an advantage. When initial objectives were meet, they were ordered to await further instructions that would kill offensive momentum in its tracks (keeping up momentum is key). This was in direct contrast to the German chain of command. Which allowed for junior officers and even NCOs to use initiative and press advantages. This meant when the British were making progress and then stopped (due to the lack of flexibility), the Germans acted. Able to shore up defences and organise local counter attacks. I often feel it is a big ‘what if’ had the British been able to press advantages on the ground (the battle of Cambri in 1917 is a key example of this fatal flaw)
@@InspiriumESOO I heard that the Ukrainian army had these flaws too, according to the foreign volunteers who returned. Saying they could have gain more advantages if not forced to wait further instructions. But honestly, nowadays armies rather be curious than daring.
While true, soldiers following orders could’ve brought the Germans victory a month into ww1. Had one of the German generals of the right wing not moved ahead and defied orders, there would be no opening gap, no battle of the Marne, and potentially, a German victory against France about a month into the war
@@mykeplays912 That's the natural risk in allowing command flexibility. Sometimes they make a bad call. Overall, though, the military history of Prussia, and then the German Empire, shows that widely having a flexible command is a net positive.
I do love how this film doesn't rely on the tired old trope of Lions Led By Donkeys. Mackenzie's attack is logical according to both information available to him and his training as an officer.
1:11 there’s a split second at the last moment you see his face before it’s turned away... an absent robotic look, as though in that moment he’s just following orders, doing what he is compelled to do. Incredible acting.
Fun fact: this movie was based on the Battle of Poelcappelle, a part of the larger Third Battle of Ypres, which proved to be somewhat of a pyrrhic victory for the British, and resulted in staggering casualties for both sides. The reason for the British getting credit for the victory is that, at this time of the war, Germany was sustaining losses it couldn’t afford, and men they couldn’t replace, while Britain and the allies could (especially with the US now entering the war). Col. McKenzie, who is fictional, was 100% right, he’s seen this play out all before, and you could understand his frustration, as I’m sure many commanders felt during this war. I’m sure there were several times, on either side, a commander would see an opportunity, only for it to get halted by command, and then told to advance hours or days later, when the opportunity was no longer there. I can’t blame him, and that’s one of the inherent disadvantages of a centralized command structure, which was still the orthodoxy of military doctrine at the time.
0:36 I love how they freeze and listen when he mentions it’s a trap. Experienced Commanders like them probably knew of the possibility that it was a trap, and their intuition jolts them to attention when he says the German’s planned it
I really loved how there was very little attaboys given to the Lance cpl He just saved thousands of lives and is treated as: that's your job, now get back to it. The only recognition he got was a "well done", and knowing the times that's probably all he ever got.
Cultural context matters. The colonel sharing his private thoughts and then genuinely addressing him regarding his wounds is a huge act of respect. Same with the sincere “well done lad” from the Major.
That's how the British military functions. It IS his job. Every medal on a British chest is for exceptional service, in contrast to an American chest, which is for completing a course. Hyperbole is frowned upon in UK military.
If anyone is interested, just read 'Forgotten voices of the great war' by Max Arthur. Collected recorded anecdotes of those who were there (on both sides) and put into print. In chronological orded of the battles fought!. Sobering to say the least. Lest we forget.
@@aeroripper We're not nervous. If it goes off, it goes off. Hopefully it won't, but knowing that peace isn't guaranteed is ingrained in all our cultures.
@@aeroripper It's only a large scale war because the USA and NATO keep pouring weapons into the fray, propping up a corrupted pro-Nazi regime, and hoping that they'll somehow wear Russia down. Now, Russia is stronger, NATO is weaker, and the USA has really exposed itself, to anyone open-minded enough, to be an evil, hypocritical regime that loves wars, as long as they are conducted a long way from American shores.
Time has never moved so well in a movie than 1917. Real time and single frame shot (mostly) and time being the ultimate objective. Mendes's finest film and easily his most personal.
I feel so bad for Capt Blackadder, Capt Darling, Lt George, and Pvt Baldrick. They are the first to go over the top, if only the order come a bit sooner they would've survived😭
I love the way Cumberbatch delivers the line "Stand them down." That is the face and voice of a man who realized he was seconds away from killing every man under his command.
Ironically, this is true but also led to WW2. Because in the end, atleast at the westfront...everyone was still standing. Sure, Germany knew they couldn't win anymore, but the army was still there and could have fought on for months. Which is one reason why Hitlers propaganda worked so well - the german middle-class had a huge problem understanding why Germany "lost the war". The army wasn't beaten, the Entente never entered german territory and Russia was crushed and forced into a humiliating peace. Why would you surrender?
@@ottokarl5427 They surrendered because they were starving internally and externally and if the war were to draw out until the "real" end, germany was destined to lose. Why ask silly questions you can easily find the answer to?
It was, and that my friend is a very important detail, a rhethorical question. Or rather, it was a question the extreme right-winged propaganda asked the german people. And the answer was always "we had to surrender because socialists and jews stabbed our victorious army in the back!" Because even though the Kaiserreich had like 15% of its population in the field, it apparently never settled in completly back at home how bad the army was about to lose if the wars continues just a few more months.
This was an amazing movie that I really enjoyed watching in theater. I watched it with my grandpa who was a vietnam war veteran so it holds a special place in my heart. The 1 take approach to the movie has its cons but it really made me feel like I was with the characters and made it very easy for me to imagine I was apart of the story the whole way. It also showed that all this emotion rollercoaster we watch is only a day and a half in a small section of a global 4 year war.
My great-grandfather was 28 when WW1 started in 1914, but he already lived here in Argentina after coming from Spain. One of his brothers, though, fought for the Republicans in the 1930s in the Spanish Civil War, and I can see the exhaustion from this young man's face in the letters (few letters) that my great-grandfather's brother sent him from Spain. He then became a Maqui but died in the 1960s in France. War is horrible. Terrible to see the situation of the world in terms of war.
This is for the ones that say this movie is not emotional because it has almost no dialogues. With the right atmosphere, just a few lines are enough to be touching.
One issue that historians had with this movie was the fact that MacKenzie was advancing without support from field guns. They never would’ve done that in WWI.
This scene must really hit home for soldiers. Imagine going through everything this soldier went through, only to be told to "f*ck off" at the end of it all. The brutal realities of war.
This movie was a masterpiece the tension and everything was just amazing plus the war sceans being incredible this movie is 100 percent 1 of my top tens
Never dismiss orders from those higher up completely. While it is true that from up high they can't see the details those on the ground can see, it is also true that those on the ground cant see the larger movements those up high can. We all make the best decisions we can with what information we have, but one person can't know everything. Together, though, we can get damn close.
I love this scene. Cumberpatches character at first seems like a heartless commander. but he only hesitates once he realises pushing forward might be more dangerous for his men. thats the tipping point. he dosent mind ignoring orders, but he cares about his men, ending this war as soon as possible and saving as many of the mas he can. brilliant writing.
I love how the scar on his eye is obscured by shadow until the closeup when he gives the order to call of the attack. You get to see that he's not just a heartless robot, and that he's lost as much in the war as anyone but is just desperate for it to end.
Man, the colonel’s little monologue at the end is what makes this movie for me. “Next week they’ll send a different message. Attack at dawn.” What the main characters did was heroic, it saved the many lives, but in the end it was pointless. Many of the lives they saved will be lost regardless of everything they went through, regardless of Blake sacrificing his life. All war is is pointless waste and this movie illustrates that perfectly, it’s the only message a war movie should ever have if you ask me.
WW1 is probably the most nihilistic war in history. There weren't even any clear war goals for most participants. An entire generation of young men was sent to their deaths for nothing.
I was in sophomore year of my engineering degree in pune when this masterpiece hit cinemas in pre covid 2020 or late 2019 (I guess), one of the best pieces of cinema I ever saw, pure delight
This is particularly hard for me to watch because my nan's two uncles were called Schofield, and they were lost in WW1. We still don't know their burial location, or status, thanks to family documents we can't find anymore.
A key point to remember about the British in WW1 is that they were on the offensive at this point. The Germans had purposefully dug in their trench line so that the British trenches would flood and they would be well equipped for the long haul knowing full well that they had no intention of advancing anytime soon. British trenches were muddy, disease ridden temporary footholds, and if the British were not constantly launching offensives then they would be taking many times more casualties to disease than the Germans, which was not sustainable. This led to British and French high command ordering near suicidal offensives constantly, as staying put was also a likely death for the soldiers
The fact that Mackenzie was almost ready & willing to disobey orders just so he could go head to head with the Germans in a fight for which he was sending young men into really says a lot
Partially, but seeing it from his perspective, he probably has seen many young men die and incompetence in the British leadership. He views this as a way to end the war. “They will only have us attack at dawn again tomorrow.” shows that he has distrust in the British tactics. He views this push as a sacrifice to prevent more men from dying (and as a way to personal glory). It’s the insanity of the cycle of “One more push to break the line” that made this war so horrific.
I think it's more like "they'll have us attack the enemy some other time anyway, so why wait to die then let's just get it over with as quick as possible".
this is a trench warfare not some conventional warfare in Afghanistan, if germans perpared on their line. the allied would just send more men to weaken their defenses. This is from 1917 which somehow makes MacKenzie right..the command would just order him the next day or the next to attack.
@@Dondingdingding Afghanistan wasn’t conventional warfare, it was an asymmetrical Counter Insurgency. Trench warfare WAS conventional warfare for the time period.
@@Dondingdingding Trench Warfare IS conventional warfare, Afghanistan (for the Taliban) was guerilla warfare while the coalition employed counter insurgency operations. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine is MODERN conventional warfare for now, as I write this comment and u see the possibly horrendous casualties that war has brought upon on military personnel.
I love how the commanding officer isn't depicted as some spoiled aristocratic rich boy who cares nothing for his men, as the common stereotype of WWI British officers goes. This guy is clearly a hardened veteran who's seen a lifetime of war and cares as much for his men as any other soldier.
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as in the words of cora downton in season two of downton abbey the men build tremendous bonds that break thru class....as a veteran its true very very very true....
This is one of my absolute favourite war movies. I was hooked from the first moment and was amazed at how this story was laid out and filmed. It's also impressive how well of a movie this was, despite their low budget
i wouldnt really call this film low budget with that 90 million price tag, but i totally get why you could think that with the camerawork (one-shot illusion, one camera)
Great film! But when I was watching this part I kept thinking "Didn't he swim in a river for a considerable amount of time? Why didn't the ink get blurred and why doesn't the letter appears to show any water damage at all?"
"Hope is a dangerous thing". That quote hits different, as someone who studies history and war, I can tell you that is true. Hope can raise armies or cause them to fall, lead men to victory, or defeat, lead men to do great things, or horrible things. Sun Tzu said "Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak". "Hence the art of war is the art of deception"
It honestly portrays war really well in that regard. You're doing a whole lot of nothing for some time, then maybe you're doing something, but all of that changes when chaos descends from nowhere and you find yourself dead or dying in a matter of moments
It just shows persistence is key.. He shows a kind of resilience and persistence that I could never.. He's the perfect person for the job of military messenger. He kept going until he was listened to.
Ah, I remember watching this masterpiece in the cinema. There were two girls who were constantly chatting with each other, completely uninterested in the movie. They left an hour or so into the movie.
I would have just stood up and slapped the shit out of them . How dare they disrespect the people who lost their lives and loved ones on the battlefield !
@@kirbynavideno3382 Prove what? You've never seen someone walk out of a cinema before? What do you expect him to do, take time out of his immersion in the movie to video two girls leaving the cinema? Saw a bunch of people Leave the cinema when I went and saw anti-christ on the big screen. Done it with the Movie the Merry Gentleman myself. I was eighteen at the time and I feel looking back that I didn't give the movie a fair chance, but I just couldn't get into at the time. It happens.
All the movie suggested the colonel to be a mad dog who seeks just glory, but here we see the real reason why. These officers were high enough to command a large number of troops but not far enough from the blood to not feel it every day… to feel it was their responsibility, to think that one more push might be enough to spare their men more suffering. But they had to stand there day after day as their soldiers got killed and replaced one after another. It’s not surprising that so many lost their minds over this
Just a little FYI British army doctorine was so strict that this colonel would've likely been ordered back to headquarters and put on a firing line. Deviation from the doctorine was punished absolutely even up to the 2nd world war. One thing must be noted however the reason the colonel required runners is because they were the highest ranks to be in frontline trenches. Field commanders like division commanders were back at hq usually.
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One really neat thing about this movie: the two leads are played by actors who were virtually unknown to the general audience, but has a load of minor characters played big big Hollywood names, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch. This lends them an immediate sense of gravitas as characters, and it immediately makes you take them seriously.
Old Hollywood was loaded with 'character actors' you would see pop up in one movie after another. They added something to the movie....
It's also always a little bit of a spoiler when it starts off showing the main character as a big name. You KNOW they aren't going to die at least until the climax.
Not only that, but in this exact scene the whole vibe of, "And who the hell are you...?" hits harder.
I think it's safe to say that half the civilized world has seen Dean-Charles Chapman play the King. Whether they connect the dots is another matter.
All those minor characters played by recognizable actors were officers. It was deliberate to grant a gravitas to the officers in the movie who definitely stood out to the enlisted men at the time.
If you pay close attention at 1:00 you can hear one of the soldier yell "twenty second". The order to stand down is declared by the major at 1:19. ONE second before the charge. If that's not tension idk what is
Unfortunately in the movie, I dont think it’ll be 1:19.
@@ahiptothehop4077 It was one take, so it was exactly one second short of the 20 seconds. The movie portrayed that quite well.
@@qui3041
Ah fair point
Wow good notice
Incredible catch there. I never would have heard that if not for this comment. INSANE.
He was absolutely right though. The generals would call off attacks one day, only for them to go over the top the next. It really goes to show that despite the insane journey that lead our main character through to here was basically pointless. The men he saved that day would likely die tomorrow at the orders of the man who saved them.
Yeah, the british were probably the worst at this. So, so many young men sent into machine guns, for no gain.
@@TzunSu Um, and what's the alternative? You have to advance the front somehow. The issue was that in 1914 defensive technology had outstripped that of the offense. In other words, there was no way to conduct an offensive without suffering huge casualties.
Also, Machine guns weren't even the #1 cause of casualties in WWI, Artillery was.
@@TzunSu Nonsense. The British Army was incredibly tactically innovative- hence why the war was won by the BEF on the Western Front in 1918.
@@henrypulleine8750 yes but innovative doesn’t mean success rate 100% of the time. Solutions didn’t fall into their hands every time they needed it. So yes, often times, large offensives could’ve resulted in mass casualties.
@@taoliu3949 Not knowing too much about history or military tactics, my layman guess would be not to attack (at least not en masse). Hold the lines and know that every German/Austrian attack is costing them tenfold of what it is costing you. Keep shelling and perhaps order some smaller scale saboteur attacks when the opportunity presents itself. Let the enemy run out of supplies and money, and then either attack, or try to negotiate.
That advice the officer gave Schofield earlier in the movie to “make sure there are witnesses when you deliver the letter” was spot on. As we can see here, MacKenzie would have almost certainly dismissed Schofield without hesitation (letter or no letter) had there been nobody else with him in the room at the time.
“Some men just want the fight”
@PatrikStålberg4389it's what Mark Strong's character said to Schofield when he told him to have witnesses, so i don’t know what i missed?
@@mckenzie.latham91hell yeah bro get his ass
this is kind of why i was upset that the whole conflict between him and mackenzie lasted a moment, and was really not as engaging as it could have been. The set up by the officer earlier in the movie made it seem like this would be THE conflict in the third act of the film. Not a last pebble in the road, which is what this scene kind of felt like.
@joelbackman4389you obviously weren’t paying attention to the fkn movie, dunce.
"Now fuck off, Lance Corporal."
Most realistic line of the movie.
The English are very good at that. lol
I laughed so hard in theater when he said that. I felt that line personally as a former Lance.
To be fair to the Commander, he’s got probably one of the toughest jobs ever. Forced to send young men to their deaths time and again by high command, he sees an opportunity for a decisive victory, and end the war swiftly, only to be told he has to stop.
This was the attitude of many of the local commanders in the war, especially by this stage, everyone was just tired, 3 years of grinding pointless fighting, over the same exact territory, back and forth, for three years. High Command by contrast, were very disconnected from it all, usually several miles from the front lines, they rarely saw what the men on the ground went through.
Black Adder parodies this very well, with a scene of a High Marshal sweeping army figures off a large map table. Now while realistically the High Commanders were likely not THAT callous, it IS a good representation of what was happening. To High Command, the war was pieces and lines on a map… while to the local commanders, it was men’s lives by the THOUSANDS.
The Commanders attitude here is 100% accurate, certainly if I was in his shoes, and some Lance Corporal arrived as I was on the verge of a decisive victory (in my mind at least), and said I needed to call off the attack, I’d be pissed too.
@@commandercritic9036 Homie you're reading into it way too much
B
Mackenzie wasn't a bloodthirsty glory hound. He'd been fighting the war since 1914. He'd seen his men get killed and maimed. He just wanted the damn war to be over and thought he had a chance to make it happen.
I’ve never seen the movie but I doubt His victory wouldn’t have ended the war, his victory would have most likely just won a single battle in the war and would have just moved the goal post closer
@@AJxxxxxxxx same beliefs some commanders had when they wanted to end WW2 by christmas 1944 only for the war to extend to 1945
@@AJxxxxxxxx true, but many on both sides believed that if they could achieve breakthrough in one place, crack the trenchline (not just the first layer of trenches, but the entire network), they would be able to keep pushing because the enemy wouldn't have the positions that caused the war to bog down, and wouldn't have time to dig in as deeply.
a colonel fighting the war? now that's something new. You meant "sending people to die a meanless death", then yes
@@WeissWhite If it was 1914 or 1915 then maybe but Colonel's aren't born Colonel's, a Colonel in 1917, fought their way to the top, they know what war and death are, they've experienced it, for three bloody years, and they've undoubtably lost many friends.
I think the most tragic thing about this movie is how ultimately irrelevant this was when one takes the whole war into consideration. The movie is amazing, very epic and it portrays how two men save thousands of lives. But then you remember this was just one battle on one front of a war that raged for four years and where millions died. The movie shows how tremendous their deed was while, with the context, making the sheer scope of the whole war become unimaginable to us.
Blake sadly died and Schofield realised he had to do it without him. He kept going and I’m glad he made it
It is also sad to think that, after all he had done, “Fuck Off” was the respond he got.
And considering that the movie is very clearly summer “1917” and the war famously went on until fall 1918. That’s over a full year of suffering even after this potential break through which just shows how far from victory the Entente was at the time.
Very well said.
Yes, it was perhaps most completely pointless in the grand scheme of the war, but most of us are not nihilists, so we should all understand the true value & worth of their efforts; without this oppressing context of meaninglessness, if he died along with 10 other helpers supporting him along the way trying to & successfully saving all these people, the weight of the loss would still be just as eclipsed in the final calculation of the morality of the operation
Loved this plot twist - you're led to believe the Colonel Mackenzie is one of those old school soldiers who wants glory regardless of the cost or losses to his men but in fact he's a veteran who's seen too much senseless slaughter firsthand and just wanted the war to end but realises the commands on both sides are stubborn, illogical and uncaring to the suffering "there's only one way this war ends - last man standing". He wanted so desperately to end it with one attack but realised the cycle would continue "hope is a dangerous thing". Love how you only really see his scar until the camera pans close after he's read the letter and called off the attack. He's just as broken and suffered as much as the others around him. Brilliant scene in a brilliant movie.
Thank you for putting it together.
I disagree...he wasn't blood thirsty but just tired of the war...saw a chance to end it...he said a letter would come week later to attack...most likely it did...he just wanted the end and saw the attack as one ...
@@nonofyourbuzyness2824 That's exactly what he said
@kentpaper958 my bad I just realized yes spot on
I don’t think it’s a plot twist… it’s just realism
2:27 : So underrated and powerful: as a veteran Major, Hepburn waits for Schofield to give him a moment of peace and humanity, no salute, no ranks, just a sincere humane "well done lad" telling Schofield that he sees not only the uniform. but the individual human being.
And he could see that that human being had been through 7 different layers of shit to get there. He needed the break. I'm so glad I went see this movie in theaters.
Good old Pete Sutcliffe 😄
As a former enlisted, there’s a distinct respect to be formed for officers that make personal gestures despite the difference in rank and years in service.
I think it's also to soften up the "fuck off" that his boss just said and acknowledge what Schofield did.
@@spectralassassin6030 me too, saw this in theater and the cinematography is just jaw dropping
0:33 the atmosphere drooped when schofield said "they planned this sir" changed the colonels mind from hope of ending the war to dire and utter realization that he had been played was amazing and all the soilders hearing the attack was off while schofield was running through the trench must have been petrified with a choice attack or dont
And further despair upon knowing that they are going to send those men to die anyway tomorrow, fully knowing that they're walking into a deathtrap.
"Admiral! We have enemy ships in Sector 3-7!"
"It's a trap!"
Me watching this movie: "Whoa. This is incredible. The way it's edited to make it look like one continuous shot is amazing. The sets and effects are spot-on, and... Hey! Is that Benedict Cumberbatch?"
its a very short role for Cumberbatch but man does he play it well :)
@@Rex1987 And Mark Strong is the guy who tells him, "Make sure Mackenzie READS the letter."
The TV Moriarty is in it as well. And Rob stark.
No, that's Benhilly Sundersquatch
Dr. Strange must be on a day off I guess
"Hope is a dangerous thing"
damn, that is a good quote
As well as, "Fuck off, Lance Corporal."
"Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."
-The Shawshank Redemption
@@Engine919 damn it I was going to say the same thing in the comments from the Shawshank redemption
"Hope is the first step on the road of disappointment"
@@Engine919 That came from a guy who got molested every day
Cumberbatch does such a good job at playing an intimidating character. You can really feel his presence in the room.
Yes, the intimacy is quite intense.
Quite intimate he was
Especially when he moaned "Now f*ck off, Lance Corporal" in his ears, it was intimate as hell.
I disagree completely, he looks like a cartoon
*intimidating**
I never thought I would breathe such relief at a simple line like "Stand them down."
But then he told a nugget of truth. In WWI, there is never a permanent "stand down" until the end if the war. There is only the next order to attack, which could come literally the next day, hell the next hour.
I could hardly breathe after the movie and it was a horrible feeling to experience. It felt I lost someone that I loved but I didn’t lose my great grandfather after the Second World War luckily he survived. I miss him even though I was born a year after he died in 2001. It’s 21 years this year 😭
1917 - 2001 ❤️
@@nicolelawless3199 I hope he lived a great and full life. May he rest in peace.
@@Josephgmark7360
Thanks, I never got to meet him but I do love him because he survived the Second World War and he was married to my Nana for 46 years
what relief? the men will the next day...
Dr. Strange did not see the future on this one.
he just found out the other team knew geometry, so he had to call off his attack.
Haha he needed proof from a letter!
watch another fucking movie oh my god
That’s why he’s not the sorcerer supreme
He did see the future, and he had to play the long game. You know, like dying knowing that he'd be revived.
Schofield will most likely get told off by his RSM for losing his rifle and kit when he gets back to his battalion. He doesn't appear to be wounded sufficiently to escape that.
Losing your rifle could lead to a charge of "casting your weapons away" and raised a suspicion of desertion or cowardice.
@@stevekaczynski3793 I think the fact he successfully delivered the message as ordered would counteract any accusations of cowardice, as it’s obvious he continued on to deliver the message on time despite loosing his only means of defending himself effectively
I expect there are a lot of rifles laying about that he could take back with him...
Sad but true, he might just go back to the front lines once he recovers a bit.... sheesh war can be cruel, meat grinder.
@@Swarm509 Yes, there would be. But every man is issued a specifically numbered rifle, it is recorded in the Battalion orderly files. If that rifle is 'lost', it has to be reported to the Regimental Quartermaster and an indent filed for a replacement. The amount of paperwork a single company could generate was mind-numbing
Knowing that first wave that charged is most likely dead is chilling. Yeah it sucks you couldn’t save them, but you just saved an entire army from being wiped out.
They would have won. All this did waa prolong the war
Yea, they get to die another day
@@ohno6528 at least the rest of the boys didn't get slaugthered like pigs stuck on barbed wire
nonsense they were not even that far away from the trenches when recalled most of them likely returned and lived to fight another day. They wouldn't have even reached the enemy line of guns yet. He arrived just in time.
@@dbz9393 They actually did reach the enemy line. Right before this scene, as the two guards are holding Schofield back, a soldier walks into the HQ and announced "Colonel! We've seen flares, the men on the left flank have reached the German lines."
I like the small details on Colonel Mackenzie's uniform, his campaign and medal ribbons worn on the right of chest tell a unique story; he was a veteran of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War in South Africa as he was awarded the King's South Africa and Queen's South Africa medals, along with a Distinguished Service Order Medal, and the King George V Coronation Medal. He was more than likely in South Africa from 1899-1902 (Queen's South Africa), and after 1902 (King's South Africa Medal). A character such as this saw action when the water-cooled machinegun was still a new concept to the battlefield. I just find subtle designs like this all the more interesting when they're implemented into historical films.
The real 2nd Devons were almost wiped out in 1918 at the 3rd Battle of Aisne. The Regiment was awarded the Bois des Buttes Battle Honour and awarded the French Croix de Guerre for their actions. It is still worn on the uniform of its successor Regiment The RIFLES Regiment.
Impressive knowledge
medals are worn on the left...there are a couple of exceptions and rare reeasons
@@signoguns8501 medals arent worn on the right thats poor research..
Yes, and also they had L/Cpl Schofield saluting, at the 12 sec point, but without headgear. Always grates to see that.
The look on L.C. Schofield's face when the attack gets called off...it's almost like he can't believe it worked.
I remember yelling “THANK GOD!” and everyone looks at me with emotion
I remember in the cinema seeing this for the first time, I was SO relieved when he said "stand them down" ! Thought for all the world that he was going to proceed with the attack !
So was I, I was 17 at the time it came out and now I just turned 20 yesterday
Name of the movie
@@reyrosas5527 1917
1917 is both an excellent war film, and an excellent cinematic experience.
A great colour palette, combined with one continuous cinematic shot; makes for one of my favourite films of all time.
Somebody else commented this, but I really do think this is just so incredible. At 1:00 you can faintly hear somebody outside yell "20 seconds", (as in 20 seconds before they start the attack). Then precisely 19 seconds later, the order to stand down is given. 1 second short of an attack that would have killed them all. Wow.
except it's not 1:00, it's 0:58 which makes it not 19 seconds but 21 seconds, thus making your comment and the comment of that other person pointless.
🤡
@@FridayFroths lol. You received justified criticism and you're so thin skinned that you can't even admit you're wrong? Lmao. Now i suggest you go back to the video, play it at 1:00 and try to hear anything there. Then play it at 0:58 and hear the actual line. Then do some math between 1:19 and 0:58 and see if your nice theory still holds.
It was also probably added in post, so it wasn't live.
@@hoarder1919 Doesn't matter, it's still great attention to detail. The attack wouldn't have any momentum, they're still going to stand down barely in time. If anything this makes it more realistic and believable.
One of the things that people tend to forget about a scene like this is that Lance Cpl. Schofield was actually more likely to survive the war than Colonel Mackenzie. The odds of being killed as an ordinary soldier were about 1 in 10, while the odds of being killed as an officer were closer to 1 in 5 or 6. In fact, 232 British *generals* were killed or wounded in action, about 19% of those who served at that rank. The Prime Minister's son died fighting as an officer, and so did 24 members of the House of Lords. At one point in 1915, three division commanders out of about 40 were killed in one week, prompting the HQ to issue orders that senior (Corps and Division) commanders should not place themselves so directly in the line of fire when commanding, because they were actually running low and there wasn't enough time to train up new ones. And casualty rates for field and company grade officers like Mackenzie were even higher...
It’s been long understood in the army, one good battle could see vast advancement of rank during war time, long standing morbid joke, if we make it to the end of this battle we all might be generals
I know it was shown in the Audie Murphy movie, where the lower enlisted joked that being promoted was almost a death sentence.
Well, British officers dont duck. Right?
Officers need to stand and shout in order to give orders, especially when rounds are flying. Normally ppl who stand and shout tend to get hit.
I remember a line in the game Companybof Heroes where a German commander remarked somewhere along the lines that British Officers were pompous, but will almost always lead from the front and in the thick with the men. Given the courage Britain fields from time to time, I'm inclined to believe.
0:53 One subtle detail I just noticed: the Colonel's eyes are well lit as he looks at Schofield. The moment he tilts his head down and opens up the letter, the upper half of his face is shrouded in darkness -- as if the very contents of the letter seeped into his eyes to warn him of what lay ahead. It's beautiful imagery like this that got the movie nominated for so many Oscars.
One thing I appreciate about this scene is that you get a sense that Benedict Cumberbatch's character isn't exactly the bloodthirsty general he's infamous for. I think this scene reveals that the general just strives for some sort of finality, hoping for glory. It's almost like he just wants it to be over one way or another.
I think it plays on the British propaganda that proposed “the war will be over by Christmas”. Mackenzie would have most likely been reassured by Army Command that the fighting would be estimated for a few months providing he follows orders. And here he is 3 years later, watched countless soldiers under his command run out of a trench and never come back or died right before his eyes and he’s still receiving the same bullshit orders. It’s a great character development that shows how exhausted those on the front were and how quickly the command was willing to pass off their own Colonels as crazed lunatics.
There's something to be said about 2:40, when Schofield tells the Major, "I was sent here with his brother," and the Major just says, "...Ah." Seeing only Schofield there, he immediately knows that Blake's brother didn't make it.
I love how much they leave unsaid, as both of them would know exactly the reality of the war and the current circumstances they find themselves in. The Major tells him to check the casualty clearing unit, "otherwise..." and we all know what the "otherwise..." means...
Cumberbatch's voice in the movie theater had a booming and resounding command in his tone, absolutely nailed this minor role
The British chain of command was woefully inflexible in ww1 (it carried into ww2). I feel for Mckenzie in this respect. The British came so close to major breakthroughs in 1916 and 17 but the chain of command didn’t allow for more junior officers to make decisions on the ground that could press an advantage. When initial objectives were meet, they were ordered to await further instructions that would kill offensive momentum in its tracks (keeping up momentum is key).
This was in direct contrast to the German chain of command. Which allowed for junior officers and even NCOs to use initiative and press advantages. This meant when the British were making progress and then stopped (due to the lack of flexibility), the Germans acted. Able to shore up defences and organise local counter attacks. I often feel it is a big ‘what if’ had the British been able to press advantages on the ground (the battle of Cambri in 1917 is a key example of this fatal flaw)
Russians have kept that tradition to this day.
@@InspiriumESOO I heard that the Ukrainian army had these flaws too, according to the foreign volunteers who returned. Saying they could have gain more advantages if not forced to wait further instructions. But honestly, nowadays armies rather be curious than daring.
While true, soldiers following orders could’ve brought the Germans victory a month into ww1. Had one of the German generals of the right wing not moved ahead and defied orders, there would be no opening gap, no battle of the Marne, and potentially, a German victory against France about a month into the war
@@caseblue2232 I've heard the exact opposite.
@@mykeplays912 That's the natural risk in allowing command flexibility. Sometimes they make a bad call. Overall, though, the military history of Prussia, and then the German Empire, shows that widely having a flexible command is a net positive.
I do love how this film doesn't rely on the tired old trope of Lions Led By Donkeys. Mackenzie's attack is logical according to both information available to him and his training as an officer.
1:11 there’s a split second at the last moment you see his face before it’s turned away... an absent robotic look, as though in that moment he’s just following orders, doing what he is compelled to do. Incredible acting.
0:43 When he heard that you can tell he'd been grappling with that theory for a long while
Fun fact: this movie was based on the Battle of Poelcappelle, a part of the larger Third Battle of Ypres, which proved to be somewhat of a pyrrhic victory for the British, and resulted in staggering casualties for both sides. The reason for the British getting credit for the victory is that, at this time of the war, Germany was sustaining losses it couldn’t afford, and men they couldn’t replace, while Britain and the allies could (especially with the US now entering the war). Col. McKenzie, who is fictional, was 100% right, he’s seen this play out all before, and you could understand his frustration, as I’m sure many commanders felt during this war. I’m sure there were several times, on either side, a commander would see an opportunity, only for it to get halted by command, and then told to advance hours or days later, when the opportunity was no longer there. I can’t blame him, and that’s one of the inherent disadvantages of a centralized command structure, which was still the orthodoxy of military doctrine at the time.
Oh thank god you censored “bastards”. For a moment I thought this was a movie about war.
Inglorious B******s
Ah fackoff... YT censors...
0:36 I love how they freeze and listen when he mentions it’s a trap.
Experienced Commanders like them probably knew of the possibility that it was a trap, and their intuition jolts them to attention when he says the German’s planned it
"Mackenzie, I've come to bargain."
I really loved how there was very little attaboys given to the Lance cpl
He just saved thousands of lives and is treated as: that's your job, now get back to it.
The only recognition he got was a "well done", and knowing the times that's probably all he ever got.
Cultural context matters. The colonel sharing his private thoughts and then genuinely addressing him regarding his wounds is a huge act of respect. Same with the sincere “well done lad” from the Major.
And now adults complain about not having their kid awarded a participation trophy when they lost lol
That's how the British military functions. It IS his job. Every medal on a British chest is for exceptional service, in contrast to an American chest, which is for completing a course. Hyperbole is frowned upon in UK military.
Despite his role in imitation game (great movie but grossly inaccurate) Cumberbatch nails every role he's in no matter how big or small.
Immitation game is one hughe Proaganda fro Brits. In Poland its deamed as fantasy
@@qzg7857 Thankfully no one cares or listens to what Poland thinks
No one cares.
@@ac2244 youre mad cause someone cares and you dont
True
I really like his "Hope is a dangerous thing" monologue. You can tell he wants the fighting to end and is sick of the constant back and forth.
If anyone is interested, just read 'Forgotten voices of the great war' by Max Arthur. Collected recorded anecdotes of those who were there (on both sides) and put into print. In chronological orded of the battles fought!. Sobering to say the least. Lest we forget.
@Ginny Jones Unfortunately no.
Read the best book on WW1, Storm of Steel, as well, absolute gold
Another good source is the memoir Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves.
@@aeroripper We're not nervous. If it goes off, it goes off. Hopefully it won't, but knowing that peace isn't guaranteed is ingrained in all our cultures.
@@aeroripper It's only a large scale war because the USA and NATO keep pouring weapons into the fray, propping up a corrupted pro-Nazi regime, and hoping that they'll somehow wear Russia down.
Now, Russia is stronger, NATO is weaker, and the USA has really exposed itself, to anyone open-minded enough, to be an evil, hypocritical regime that loves wars, as long as they are conducted a long way from American shores.
Time has never moved so well in a movie than 1917. Real time and single frame shot (mostly) and time being the ultimate objective. Mendes's finest film and easily his most personal.
I feel so bad for Capt Blackadder, Capt Darling, Lt George, and Pvt Baldrick. They are the first to go over the top, if only the order come a bit sooner they would've survived😭
Poor guys, if only they have a cunning plan to escape😭
@@meitynajoan5553 It would have to be as cunning as a fox that has just been made Professior of Cunning at Oxford university
Never should have shot that pigeon
@@timmyp34 wdym? They didn't recieve any messages and Capt Blackadder definitely did not shot the plump-breasted pigeon
I love the way Cumberbatch delivers the line "Stand them down." That is the face and voice of a man who realized he was seconds away from killing every man under his command.
Mackenzie saying “last man standing” perfectly sums up World War I
Ironically, this is true but also led to WW2. Because in the end, atleast at the westfront...everyone was still standing. Sure, Germany knew they couldn't win anymore, but the army was still there and could have fought on for months. Which is one reason why Hitlers propaganda worked so well - the german middle-class had a huge problem understanding why Germany "lost the war". The army wasn't beaten, the Entente never entered german territory and Russia was crushed and forced into a humiliating peace. Why would you surrender?
@@ottokarl5427 that is very true
Or any war, really.
@@ottokarl5427 They surrendered because they were starving internally and externally and if the war were to draw out until the "real" end, germany was destined to lose. Why ask silly questions you can easily find the answer to?
It was, and that my friend is a very important detail, a rhethorical question. Or rather, it was a question the extreme right-winged propaganda asked the german people. And the answer was always "we had to surrender because socialists and jews stabbed our victorious army in the back!"
Because even though the Kaiserreich had like 15% of its population in the field, it apparently never settled in completly back at home how bad the army was about to lose if the wars continues just a few more months.
3:02 "Heres your headphones sir!"
Hahaha that's what I heard!
This was an amazing movie that I really enjoyed watching in theater. I watched it with my grandpa who was a vietnam war veteran so it holds a special place in my heart. The 1 take approach to the movie has its cons but it really made me feel like I was with the characters and made it very easy for me to imagine I was apart of the story the whole way. It also showed that all this emotion rollercoaster we watch is only a day and a half in a small section of a global 4 year war.
What did your grandpa think of it?
is he an american or an anzac veteran
My great-grandfather was 28 when WW1 started in 1914, but he already lived here in Argentina after coming from Spain. One of his brothers, though, fought for the Republicans in the 1930s in the Spanish Civil War, and I can see the exhaustion from this young man's face in the letters (few letters) that my great-grandfather's brother sent him from Spain. He then became a Maqui but died in the 1960s in France. War is horrible. Terrible to see the situation of the world in terms of war.
repent unto God
I love this movie. Watching it in the cinema, I have never felt so gripped and on the edge of my seat since, maybe… ‘Captain Phillips’.
This is for the ones that say this movie is not emotional because it has almost no dialogues. With the right atmosphere, just a few lines are enough to be touching.
One issue that historians had with this movie was the fact that MacKenzie was advancing without support from field guns. They never would’ve done that in WWI.
This film is criminally underrated. It's a masterpiece
This scene must really hit home for soldiers. Imagine going through everything this soldier went through, only to be told to "f*ck off" at the end of it all. The brutal realities of war.
Somewhere in there after the attack is called off is a Peaky Blinder named Tommy Shelby saying “No fighting !No Fighting! NO FUCKING FIGHTING!!!!
No sniffing petrol
@@yeyonge No sucking, faking petrol out of their fakin cars eyy
@@filipdendis7988 Then he points to just one guy and just nods and keeps yelling at everyone else.
Then seconds after the butler gets bullied by Tommy and Arthur throws a carrot at him.
This movie was a masterpiece the tension and everything was just amazing plus the war sceans being incredible this movie is 100 percent 1 of my top tens
Benedict Cumberbatch has a gravitas that few actors can muster.
Never dismiss orders from those higher up completely. While it is true that from up high they can't see the details those on the ground can see, it is also true that those on the ground cant see the larger movements those up high can. We all make the best decisions we can with what information we have, but one person can't know everything. Together, though, we can get damn close.
I love this scene. Cumberpatches character at first seems like a heartless commander. but he only hesitates once he realises pushing forward might be more dangerous for his men. thats the tipping point. he dosent mind ignoring orders, but he cares about his men, ending this war as soon as possible and saving as many of the mas he can. brilliant writing.
I love how the scar on his eye is obscured by shadow until the closeup when he gives the order to call of the attack. You get to see that he's not just a heartless robot, and that he's lost as much in the war as anyone but is just desperate for it to end.
Spectacular courage from Lance Corporal Schofield.
Man, the colonel’s little monologue at the end is what makes this movie for me. “Next week they’ll send a different message. Attack at dawn.” What the main characters did was heroic, it saved the many lives, but in the end it was pointless. Many of the lives they saved will be lost regardless of everything they went through, regardless of Blake sacrificing his life. All war is is pointless waste and this movie illustrates that perfectly, it’s the only message a war movie should ever have if you ask me.
WW1 is probably the most nihilistic war in history. There weren't even any clear war goals for most participants. An entire generation of young men was sent to their deaths for nothing.
I was in sophomore year of my engineering degree in pune when this masterpiece hit cinemas in pre covid 2020 or late 2019 (I guess), one of the best pieces of cinema I ever saw, pure delight
This is particularly hard for me to watch because my nan's two uncles were called Schofield, and they were lost in WW1. We still don't know their burial location, or status, thanks to family documents we can't find anymore.
"Have someone tend to your wounds. Now Fuck off, Lance Corporal."
A key point to remember about the British in WW1 is that they were on the offensive at this point. The Germans had purposefully dug in their trench line so that the British trenches would flood and they would be well equipped for the long haul knowing full well that they had no intention of advancing anytime soon. British trenches were muddy, disease ridden temporary footholds, and if the British were not constantly launching offensives then they would be taking many times more casualties to disease than the Germans, which was not sustainable. This led to British and French high command ordering near suicidal offensives constantly, as staying put was also a likely death for the soldiers
German losses were even less sustainable.
britain was lucky it had the anzacs
The fact that Mackenzie was almost ready & willing to disobey orders just so he could go head to head with the Germans in a fight for which he was sending young men into really says a lot
Partially, but seeing it from his perspective, he probably has seen many young men die and incompetence in the British leadership. He views this as a way to end the war. “They will only have us attack at dawn again tomorrow.” shows that he has distrust in the British tactics. He views this push as a sacrifice to prevent more men from dying (and as a way to personal glory). It’s the insanity of the cycle of “One more push to break the line” that made this war so horrific.
I think it's more like "they'll have us attack the enemy some other time anyway, so why wait to die then let's just get it over with as quick as possible".
this is a trench warfare not some conventional warfare in Afghanistan, if germans perpared on their line. the allied would just send more men to weaken their defenses. This is from 1917 which somehow makes MacKenzie right..the command would just order him the next day or the next to attack.
@@Dondingdingding Afghanistan wasn’t conventional warfare, it was an asymmetrical Counter Insurgency. Trench warfare WAS conventional warfare for the time period.
@@Dondingdingding Trench Warfare IS conventional warfare, Afghanistan (for the Taliban) was guerilla warfare while the coalition employed counter insurgency operations. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine is MODERN conventional warfare for now, as I write this comment and u see the possibly horrendous casualties that war has brought upon on military personnel.
“ Victory is only 500 yards away” general Robert Nivelle. 1917
You can see the sheer anger in Mackenzie’s face when he read it
I love how the commanding officer isn't depicted as some spoiled aristocratic rich boy who cares nothing for his men, as the common stereotype of WWI British officers goes. This guy is clearly a hardened veteran who's seen a lifetime of war and cares as much for his men as any other soldier.
as in the words of cora downton in season two of downton abbey the men build tremendous bonds that break thru class....as a veteran its true very very very true....
I honestly thought that he was going to go ahead despite the orders, I was so relieved when he called the attack off.
So was I, I’ll never forget everyone helping me because I was in a right emotional state
The continuos shot keeps the tension through out the movie.
1:54 “There is only one way this War Ends Last Man Standing” I don’t know why but it always reminds me of Game of Thrones😮😮🤔🤔
I still cant believe the entire movie was done in 3 shots.
Both the UK King and German Kaiser are first cousins in opposite sides.
Also the Russian Tsar was their cousin.
all purely political marriages for diplomatic reasons. no meaning behind it
Queen Victoria was their grandmother right?
yes, they made a 1-dollar bet to see who had the best military.
@@nkristianschmidt”no balls”
This is one of my absolute favourite war movies.
I was hooked from the first moment and was amazed at how this story was laid out and filmed.
It's also impressive how well of a movie this was, despite their low budget
i wouldnt really call this film low budget with that 90 million price tag, but i totally get why you could think that with the camerawork (one-shot illusion, one camera)
There’s only on way this war ends: last bank standing.
Such is every imperialist war.
So true
What a cameo performance by BC. Plays the pompous senior officer so well...
Benedict Cumberbatch is the spectacular actor, he actually looked like someone who lives in decade of 1910 here
Great film! But when I was watching this part I kept thinking "Didn't he swim in a river for a considerable amount of time? Why didn't the ink get blurred and why doesn't the letter appears to show any water damage at all?"
Pretty sure there was a point where he put the letter in a metal case.
The scene where you're finally allowed to breath. This was an amazing film.
the subtle head tilts of Benedict were amazing, the details make the difference for A-list actors from the rest.
Would the letter even be readable at this point? considering the fact It was covered in Blake‘s blood and Schofield swam with it in the Sensee river.
How beautifully they have shot this scene without any cut👌❤️
"Hope is a dangerous thing". That quote hits different, as someone who studies history and war, I can tell you that is true. Hope can raise armies or cause them to fall, lead men to victory, or defeat, lead men to do great things, or horrible things. Sun Tzu said "Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak". "Hence the art of war is the art of deception"
After 1917 I never hoped for anything because of how powerful Mackenzie’s words were
@@nicolelawless3199 shouldn't not hope, it's a tool, just like anything else.
1:30 there's no way his hair can be that fluffy during war lol did he just take a shower somewhere?
Sam Mendes' style reminds me of Fred Zinneman's elaborateness and tastefulness particularly in background score.
I loved this film. For me it was the carefully managed pace and silence for the most part, interrupted by madness and murder.
It honestly portrays war really well in that regard. You're doing a whole lot of nothing for some time, then maybe you're doing something, but all of that changes when chaos descends from nowhere and you find yourself dead or dying in a matter of moments
This is the second WWI film Benedict CucumberPatch has been in.
You seen him War Horse?
@@joewhitehead3 yes.
It just shows persistence is key..
He shows a kind of resilience and persistence that I could never..
He's the perfect person for the job of military messenger.
He kept going until he was listened to.
Ah, I remember watching this masterpiece in the cinema. There were two girls who were constantly chatting with each other, completely uninterested in the movie. They left an hour or so into the movie.
I would have just stood up and slapped the shit out of them . How dare they disrespect the people who lost their lives and loved ones on the battlefield !
Prove it
@@kirbynavideno3382 its really not that hard to believe u spaz😂😂
@@kirbynavideno3382 Prove what? You've never seen someone walk out of a cinema before? What do you expect him to do, take time out of his immersion in the movie to video two girls leaving the cinema?
Saw a bunch of people Leave the cinema when I went and saw anti-christ on the big screen. Done it with the Movie the Merry Gentleman myself. I was eighteen at the time and I feel looking back that I didn't give the movie a fair chance, but I just couldn't get into at the time. It happens.
If they're not interested in the film, why'd they bothered to see it in theaters?
All the movie suggested the colonel to be a mad dog who seeks just glory, but here we see the real reason why. These officers were high enough to command a large number of troops but not far enough from the blood to not feel it every day… to feel it was their responsibility, to think that one more push might be enough to spare their men more suffering. But they had to stand there day after day as their soldiers got killed and replaced one after another. It’s not surprising that so many lost their minds over this
The thumbnail made me realize the commander was Benedict Cumberbatch. I didn't even notice while watching the movie.
The bleeping of the words really takes away from the immersion. Don't do that.
One of the most nerve-wrecking scenes in the history of cinema.
Everything about this scene is just PERFECT
"Hope is a dengerous thing" believe me this line is life lesson.
Such a great movie! It was haunting and beautiful. I thought about it for at least a week after I saw it.
So did I and I had my first dreams about 1917 the same night. The dreams have successfully come back
Name of the movie
Fun fact: Lieutenant in British/British English is Leftenant.
Just a little FYI British army doctorine was so strict that this colonel would've likely been ordered back to headquarters and put on a firing line. Deviation from the doctorine was punished absolutely even up to the 2nd world war. One thing must be noted however the reason the colonel required runners is because they were the highest ranks to be in frontline trenches. Field commanders like division commanders were back at hq usually.
and without ANZAC it would have been worse
Wish more movies would hold longer shots on actors and the action like in this clip and not just as a gimmick.
2:09 Can't be more British than that lol
“I’ve come to bargain” takes on a whole new meaning in this scene
I know it’s about things much more important, but I love how this movie basically united all the British daddies