On April 6, 1917, the globe was engulfed in the first World War. In France, the Germans had appeared to have retreated, but General Erinmore (Colin Firth) has just received new aerial reconnaissance that the Germans had actually set up a newly-fortified line of defense, and that Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch)—who does not have this new information due to the phone lines being cut—is about to lead two battalions of troops into a massacre. In order to prevent this, the General has tasked Lance Corporals Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) with the time-sensitive mission of delivering the order to have Colonel Mackenzie hold back his troops. And so the two young men set out on this important journey, with Lance Corporal Blake having the extra motivation that his older brother is a Lieutenant in the 2nd Devons, which the Colonel is about to send into battle.

1917 is presented in a real-time manner, seemingly without any edits. The one-shot nature of the film sucks you in, putting you in the POV of these two young soldiers, feeling the same relentless pressure that these soldiers do. At times, it almost felt like you were part of a video game. Once the soldiers’ mission is started, there is no letting down or time for a break. The viewer is with these soldiers through every move that they make, and every threat and danger that they face, never leaving their sides throughout this ordeal. Lance Corporal Blake is the heart of the film, driven by the goal to save his brother. He also entertains his partner with ridiculous and amusing war stories as they embark on their journey. Meanwhile, Schofield is already a war hero, but doesn’t seem to care about the honor, and doesn’t really talk about his family. But he is a loyal soldier who takes this mission seriously, not letting anyone or anything get in his way of delivering the intelligence.

1917 was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, and took home the awards for Cinematography, Visual Effects, and Sound Mixing. It’s easy to see why the Academy showered this film with so many accolades. The film is beautifully shot, flowing in and out of the action, seemingly never breaking away as it follows these soldiers, through the trenches, across the perilous no-mans-land, into the French countryside, across dangerous rapids, and onto the battlefield. The film’s amazing and relentless score also helps to build the tension and emotion as the viewer goes on this roller-coaster of a journey with these soldiers. The two lead actors are phenomenal, making you really care about them and their plight. Plus, the film features an all-star cast of cameos from some highly-recognizable British actors including Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, Richard Madden and Benedict Cumberbatch.

I first saw this film in the theater, and watching it again on this Blu-ray, I was equally amazed. This movie has quickly earned a spot in my list of all-time favorite war films! Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds amazing. The picture is pristine and heavily detailed—I felt like I was watching a 4K release. In the trenches, you can see every detail of the textures of the dirt and wood walls. Every set and location is like a breathtakingly-beautiful painting, even the darker scenes lit by flares or firelight look amazing. The Atmos audio track provides clear dialogue, a heart-pounding score, and an incredibly-immersive viewing experience—from the sounds of planes or collapsing caves overhead, to bullets flying by, or explosions on the battlefield.

The Blu-ray release includes both Blu-ray and DVD discs packed in standard HD keepcase with a slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for an HD Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film as well as a code for a bonus digital movie. The Blu-ray includes nearly 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and two audio commentaries, with the director/co-writer and director of photography. The DVD disc is missing a couple of the featurettes.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:58:58)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 3/31/2021):

• HD digital copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere
• Bonus Digital Movie (Redemption Deadline 8/10/2020)
  Additional bonus digital movie redeemable at www.upherewards.com. At the time of this review, the list of available titles includes Nocturnal Animals, Les Misérables, Hard Target 2 and The Deep, but these change every 4 months or so.

Extras:

Some of the bonus material that can be found on the Blu-ray disc is not available on the DVD—these items are noted with an *. There is a convenient Play All option to watch all of the featurettes back-to-back.

• The Weight of the World: Sam Mendes (4:29)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about how the film and script came about and its roots in Mendes’ grandfather’s WWI experience, and what it was like working with the visionary director. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer/producer Sam Mendes, co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, producer Pippa Harris, production designer Dennis Gassner, director of photography Roger Deakins, and stars George MacKay (“Lance Corporal Schofield”) & Dean-Charles Chapman (“Lance Corporal Blake”).
• Allied Forces: Making 1917 (12:01)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the challenges of executing the one-shot look of the film and the technology used to realize this vision. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer/producer Sam Mendes, director of photography Roger Deakins, co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, co-producer/first assistant director Michael Lerman, producer Callum McDougall, producer Pippa Harris, trinity camera operator Charlie Rizek, steadicam operator Peter Cavaciuti, producer Jayne-Ann Tenggren, and stars Dean-Charles Chapman & George MacKay.
• The Score of 1917 (3:52)
  The filmmakers discuss the development of the film’s Oscar-nominated score, and the unique instruments utilized. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer/producer Sam Mendes, producer Pippa Harris, composer Thomas Newman, and producer Jayne-Ann Tenggren.
• In The Trenches* (6:59)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the two young leads and the film’s all-star cameo cast. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/co-writer/producer Sam Mendes, producer Pippa Harris, producer Jayne-Ann Tenggren, and stars George MacKay & Dean-Charles Chapman.
• Recreating History* (10:25)
  The filmmakers discuss the challenges of recreating WWI in models and enormous 360 degree sets, which had to be exactly the right size due to the one-shot nature of the production. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with production designer Dennis Gassner, director/co-writer/producer Sam Mendes, co-producer/first assistant director Michael Lerman, director of photography Roger Deakins, art director Elaine Kusmishko, producer Pippa Harris, producer Callum McDougall, set director Lee Sandales, co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, location manager Lindsey Powell, and stars Dean-Charles Chapman & George MacKay.
• Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Sam Mendes (1:58:58)
  Director/Co-Writer/Producer Sam Mendes provides an interesting and informative commentary throughout the film. He shares his insights into the characters and story, talks about the technical challenges of the production, and shares lots of behind-the-scenes stories.
• Feature Commentary with Director of Photography Roger Deakins (1:58:58)
  Director of Photography Roger Deakins spends the majority of this commentary discussing how each shot was filmed and what equipment was utilized. He also shares some fun behind-the-scenes stories.

Final Thoughts:

1917 is a beautifully-executed film about two young soldiers on a journey to deliver important intelligence to stop fellow soldiers from being led into a massacre. It reminded me of Saving Private Ryan, but the real-time, one-shot nature of the film makes it a far more personal and immersive experience. Universal’s Blu-ray release provides phenomenal picture and sound, and includes about 40-minutes of behind-the-scenes material as well as 2 audio commentaries that go into a lot of detail about the making of the film. This film has easily become one of my all-time favorite war movies, making Universal’s release a must own (I’d even suggest grabbing the 4K release, though the Blu-ray already looks quite amazing).