Day 171: 1917

Recently I have been getting into movies a lot and not necessarily for the actors or even so much the storyline. But for the cinematography and the stunning visuals. Now more than ever before, films have become artistic masterpieces that not only have fantastic characters, gripping scenes, and beautiful stories but have incredible lighting and magical colors.

Some of these visually stunning movies that I have fallen in love with are "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" and "The Hundred Foot Journey", some newer ones include "Ford vs. Ferrari", "Dark Waters" and "Little Women." There is just something so beautiful about the ways these are filmed that create a sense of magic around them. Tonight I added another film to my growing list of incredible movies that are simply beautiful.

That movie is "1917."

I was amazed at how captivating it was. With striking visuals contrasting the differences between beauty and destruction, everything about this film was impeccable. The horrors of war were shown in a way that was gruesome and oh so captivating often times bringing me to tears. It felt so real and that alone moves the viewers in so many unknown ways.

Not only was the story simply beautiful, it is a filming masterpiece. Filmed as if it was taken in one shot so that every movement and step is captured in sequence. There is so much detail in the scenes because of the way it was filmed and you feel like you are right there with the character, running through the trenches during World War I.

The lighting and the colors were unbelievable and gave so much to the overall storyline. Ranging from the overcast skies to light coming from raging fires, not a single scene leaves you wanting for visual beauty.

But my favorite part by far, above the light and the colors and the way it was filmed, was the juxtaposition of beauty and death. From corpses to cherry blossoms, burnt out buildings to a sweet infant girl. There is so much death and destruction throughout every scene, but there is just enough beauty and life to give one hope of what is to come.

I would highly, highly recommend this move to everything. While the language can be foul at times and there are scenes that are incredibly hard to stomach, it gives you a sense of what war looks like. Not the overarching story of a war from start to finish, but the details from one afternoon to the next morning. Captivating, heart wrenching, and beautiful, 1917 is a truly incredible movie.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt