10 Reasons 1917 Should Win Best Picture At The Oscars 2020

5. The Pacing

The pacing of 1917 is practically perfect, which is even more impressive when you consider this film is told mostly in real time and made to resemble one continuous shot. The transition from foot chase to a quiet, peaceful moment of relief in an abandoned building is utterly seamless and done all without a clear edit.

The pacing also makes these moments feel earned. After being shot at, blown up and nearly killed on multiple occasions, both the characters and the audience need to come up for air and that’s when these moments finally arrive. Brief and few as they maybe, they give a much-needed sense of relief to the audience as they can take a breath knowing the characters are safe. At least for the moment anyway.

Pacing can therefore be seen as another element that 1917 does better than its’ competition. For example, while “The Irishman” is a great film, there are undoubtably elements that cause it to drag, an issue not found in 1917. Because the camera is always moving, the audience always feels the story is constantly progressing.