1917 Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down

8. George MacKay & Dean-Charles Chapman's Superb Performances

1917 George Mackay
Universal

Though it would've been easy for 1917's two central characters to disappear into the film's oft-bombastic spectacle, Dean-Charles Chapman and especially George MacKay are given plenty of room to deliver terrific performances as Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield.

As two young men sent on a gruelling messenger mission in order to save 1600 lives, Chapman and MacKay sell the terror of their characters' situation perfectly, while also bonding believably amid the torrid scenario.

MacKay in particular is thrown into some gut-wrenchingly perilous sequences and is clearly up for the task, cementing the dehumanising and innocence-annihilating outcome of war.

While their characterisation is fairly straight-forward per the script, they both do wonderfully heartbreaking work, often realised more through physical acting and facial expressions than the spoken word.

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Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.