At the Cinema - January 2020

1917 - 9

The movie “1917” is an important movie and it shouldn’t be missed.  For those of us who never knew the magnitude of the two world wars, Director Sam Mendes has given us a bookend to the magnificent “Saving Private Ryan” in detailing the horrors of these World Wars.  For example, I had no idea that World War 1 was largely fought in trenches.  I didn’t understand the weaponry.  I couldn’t have pictured any of it.  It's not on our radar anymore, and that's a shame.  We can't let it slip away.  

There were many great movies peppered through the 20’s and 30’s about World War 1, like Wings and All Quiet on the Western Front.  Such a movie is rare now, but there are some classics, like Paths of Glory, Grand Illusion, Lawrence of Arabia of recent vintage. 

1917 is a different animal.  It was shot to appear as if it’s one continuous scene, and is the story of two British Soldiers sent to get word to the front that 1600 soldiers are about to charge their way into a trap set by the Germans.  While predictable in the outcome, the journey is riveting, with some unexpected twists along the way.  Technically, it’s like the difference between the tv’s we watch in our youth and what we watch today.  1917 is so vivid and immersive that it is high definition of a world that was previously grainy to us.  Everything about it is superb, from the acting, to the writing, to the story itself.

And that perfection was the problem for me.  I never forgot I was watching a movie.  In fact, I was gawking in wonderment throughout, rather than enjoying it.  It is so impressive as a technical achievement that it is distracting.

As the Oscars draw near every year, there’s a hot January picture.  This year that movie is 1917 and it may sneak in and steal awards.  Don’t be surprised.

They Shall Not Grow Old – 10

Believe it or not, here's a movie even more impressive. 

While Saving Private Ryan and 1917 are bookends, the incredible documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” is 1917’s enhancement.  If you are a fan of 1917, that admiration will only grow as you watch this masterwork. I missed it in the theater, but found it on HBO.

Academy Award winning Director Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) took old World War 1 footage and scrubbed and colored it with the latest digital technology, then added dialogue and sound effects.  Most importantly he got old narration out of World War I archives and uses voice over to tie the visual to the audio.  Then, he weaves all this together into a story.  It’s a remarkable achievement.  Not only does this work shock you, it will amplify 1917 by showing you how close 1917 came to the actual conditions, but also show you that in fact, it was worse than one can imagine.

It’s been over 100 years since this war was fought.  The Allies turned back tyranny and were 30 years from doing it all over again. 

In appreciation:

World War I was fought in Europe between 1914 and 1918.  At that time the world population was 1.9 billion, and 16 million would die in the war, or just under 1% of the world’s population

8 million soldiers died and 21 million were wounded.  In all, 65 million soldiers from 135 countries were mobilized during the war, or 3% of the population. 

The US only spent 7 months active in the war and 116,000 Americans were killed. 

World War II was fought between 1941 and 1944.  At that time the world population was 2.4 billion.  Casualty estimates range as high as 85 million, well over 3%. In all, 300 million soldiers around the globe were mobilized, over 12% of the world’s population.

As for the US, 16 million served of the 140 million Americans, an amazing 11%.

What would happen for World War III?  The Earth is seeing a population boom that is straining our ecosystem.  Currently there are 7.7 billion people and that is expected to hit 10 billion around 2050 and 11 billion by 2100.  If a global conflict broke out today, it might require a billion soldiers.

I'm not an automatic lover of war movies, but these two movies have my attention.  They are refresher courses, lest we forget. I urge you to inhale them deeply, and appreciate the sacrifice of millions.