1917 Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down

By Jack Pooley /

5. The STUNNING Action Sequences

Universal

1917 is actually a lot less action-packed than you might think: the trailers focus a lot on the bone-shaking spectacle, but the set-pieces are actually relatively brief for the most part, scattered liberally among a multitude of more quiet moments.

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But the scenes themselves are nothing short of stunning, be it a showdown in the aftermath of a plane crash, a desperate chase through a ruined village, or Schofield's goosebump-inducing run across the trenches.

It's all intensely memorable and beautifully executed, never forgetting the abject horror of war even as it's depicted by such technically astonishing means.

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As reliant on Roger Deakins' creative photography as its smartly deployed visual effects, 1917 provides a welcome antidote to monotonous shootouts and excessively CGI-soaked mayhem.