1917

What is it?

1917 is a 2019 war film that follows two young British soldiers during a single mission in World War I. The two close comrades, Blake and Schofield, must deliver a message which will warn of an ambush during one of a planned skirmish soon after the German retreat. They have to cross the ‘no-man’s-land’ created by a recent German withdrawal to get a message to Sergeant Mackenzie. This is to call off Mackenzie’s company’s attack, so that they will not be drawn into a massacre. They face dire challenges as they try to deliver their message.

What to expect

1917 is a high quality, major production by a well-regarded contemporary filmmaker, for global release. The high resolution film with high-fidelity sound is likely to increase the viewer’s immersion and the impact of the realistically depicted material dealing with the horrors of war. This is done sensitively and in a balanced way, with the dominant effect being an affecting, sensitive and measured insight into a soldier’s struggles, endurance and success during a World War I mission. Although realistic, much of the film has a calm and contemplative tone, with a well-crafted, somewhat epic musical score and slick styling that prevents it from being overly gritty. The style, subject matter and dialogue indicates a mature intended audience.

There are a number of depictions of realistically gruesome corpses, serious physical harm and suffering caused by people. Most children are likely to be significantly shocked and disturbed by this horrific content, some of which is violent in a way that realistically and unflinchingly shows the infliction of serious physical harm and the attendant cruelty that is a feature of war.