Overview
The film ‘1917’ was directed by Sam Mendes, who wanted to create a war movie to reflect the World War I events. The main actors in the film include Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay, who played the role of Blake and Schofield, respectively. The two are given a critical assignment by Colin Firth, acting as General Erinmore, to deliver a message to Richard McCabe (Colonel Mackenzie) and save the 16,000 men under a death trap (Mandes, 2019). The film’s plot twist is Mackenzie’s reluctance in receiving the message which took a lot of risks to be delivered. The film shows two committed British soldiers that are ready to risk their lives and stop a deadly attack that is likely to cause death to 16,000 men. The soldier’s challenging journey through the no man’s land is a reflection of courage and resilience.
Purpose of Bravery
The purpose of the film ‘1917’ is to show the bravery demonstrated by the two soldiers, Blake and Schofield. The two men were determined to deliver the message to Mackenzie despite the dangers that faced them. They had to travel through the enemy’s land and deal with many life-threatening instances to deliver the message that involved calling off the attack. The film shows that people can be determined to deliver results amidst adversity, just like in the case of Schofield and Blake.
Focused as he was, Schofield managed to reach Mackenzie and gave him the message. Despite the death of his friend Blake, Schofield continued with the mission which he was able to accomplish. The purpose of this film is to show the role of bravery and resilience in mission accomplishment. Schofield did not allow his tough experiences to distract him from the main goal. The film delivers a strong message to people in different fields particularly soldiers to exhibit resilience and bravery in their assignments.
Historical Accuracy
The ‘1917’ film is an epic of World War I focusing mainly on the challenges and efforts made by the battalions during the war. Though the film’s plot is fictional, including the characters, the film context and circumstances are similar to those of the British Army during WWI. The horror and heavy losses depicted in the movie are nothing different from the WWI happenings. The tactics, weapons, equipment of war, and uniforms in the film are historically accurate. The film director sets the soldiers to be a mixture of different characters as in the case of WWI. In the latter case, soldiers serving in front-line formations assumed different roles and were of different ethnicities.
The actions in the film are accurate in demonstrating the numerical superiority of the British army in WWI. Mackenzie’s led battalion had 16,000 men who were prepared for the attack(Mandes, 2019). The technology of war, including the trenches and barbered-wire emplacements in the film, are similar to what was present in WWI. However, sending two men through the vast land to deliver a message to the leader of the battalion is historically inaccurate. During WW I, messages was sent through wireless technology and people did not have to travel to facilitate communication.
Significance
‘1917’ is one of the most important films because of its emphasis on resilience and courage. The film shows the sacrifices that brave people make to save others. I would not hesitate to recommend this movie to a friend because watching it has made me embrace bravery. The film has made me stronger and more resilient in whatever I am set to accomplish. I derive my inspiration from Blake’s and Schofield’s determination not to abandon their mission despite the near-death experiences.
Reference
Mandes, S. (2019). ‘1917’ [Film]. Dreamworks Pictures.