1917-WAR

The film 1917, a prolific war film produced by ‘DreamWorks Pictures’ and directed by the critically acclaimed Sam Mendes, well known for his directing of ‘Skyfall. 

 The first shot instantly draws the audience into the idyllic location with an establishing shot of a dusky field, somewhat in the early afternoon extending the calming atmosphere out as the track slowly pans back as the meadow softly blows in the wind, accompanied by soft gentle ambient soundtrack. This starting shot suppresses the expectations of a War-like atmosphere. We soon met with two soldiers, one napping and another resting by a tree again further extending the halcyon atmosphere already created by the natural setting location. As the scene progresses, we are next introduced with some dialogue amongst the soldiers, the low mood of the conversation introduces the darker tone of this film which is further established through the audiences understanding of history especially with the obvious war attire of the characters.  

 The continuous shot gradually reveals the actual setting of the characters, revealing more and more soldiers sprawled around the surrounding areas; the low levels and energy of the other characters stimulate the prediction that they are drained physically and mentally from their previous experiences or on the other hand could suggest an anticipating tone of the arrival of enemy troops. Our primary focus from the beginning of the shot has been directed purely on the two characters walking, and as the scene develops this focus remains prominent, thus suggesting their significance within the whole plot as the protagonists.  The characters surroundings are constantly meeting the audiences' expectations as they venture further into abyss of the war zone setting, and we are constantly being given more and more details that symbolize the effects of war; for example, the inhumane conditions of the washing stations and the pegged line of clothes hanging up in obviously damp conditions.   

Another key expectation is soon met as the two protagonists enter the prolific war trenches which again sets the tone of this expectation of conflict and violence through the symbolic representation of these tunnels; this also poses the idea that they are very near, if not at the centre of the foreboding conflict suggestive of the anticipating tone set from the beginning. This is soon appeased through the characters' sudden uncertainty of his surroundings, stimulated by the pleonastic sound of boots running and the diegetic dialogue of shouting, an uneasy tone is introduced for the audience and thus suggesting conflict is nearing. 

 

A casual conversational dialogue begins, with a new character being introduced, this time at a clearly higher status and bringing a new ‘idea’ to the plot of this opening sequence as the cameras point of view changes from Infront of the characters to behind them leaving only a behind perspective of one of the original character and the higher status character. This could be suggestive of the characters later significance within the plot as they are being physically taken to another location which we are told through the third characters dialogue as a meeting with the ‘generals’ which instantly confirms the protagonist's status predicted from the beginning shot of the two characters alone in the seemingly idyllic surroundings. 

My own predictions from the opening shot alone feature a journey that we as an audience will follow of the two protagonists in their individual experience of the war and perhaps the relationships formed between them through the horrors that war brings.  The simplistic yet effective shot camera angles and the consistency of the shot duration and movement brings a calming yet almost eeriness to the scene, again reacting with the dialogue and individual decisions from the characters movements create an anticipating atmosphere and sets up the almost calm before the storm type tone; I felt this opening was extremely powerful through unbroken shot navigating the beginning of an experience. In presenting the genre of ‘War’, this shot simply embedded a simple perspective to what war was like through the setting, costume and environment that was explored through the shot and even the disheartening reality at which the soldiers had to endure. I also felt this opening shot offered a single perspective to the experience of war and that of a ‘waiting game’ yet it also set up the predictions of the darker aspects of war that I feel will be presented later in this film. 

The opening of this sequence actively worked to engage the audience's attention and to begin to build a predictable narrative of the plot gradually as the shot reveals more and more of the characters, their surroundings, the foretelling tone, and finally the mystery of their purpose from the expectation of a higher status; the continuous duration of the shot achieved this gradual decline into the ‘world’ of the characters starting with the calming breeze of a hazy meadow all the way to the suffocating, cramped and muddy trenches that symbolize the apotome of war. This juxtaposition from the beginning to the end locations successfully engages the audience in its reflection of humanities decent from war which brilliantly complements the aim of this opening sequence to introduce this idea and perspective of war.