A World War I movie? Really? And it’s not a diversity-ridden, Left-wing laced meal of propaganda sliding down the buffet of Liberal-promoted mental illness? Really? Really?! Shocked, I tell you… absolutely shocked.
I was reluctant to watch the trailer for Sam Mendes’ 1917, fearing that Universal Pictures would find some way to undermine a historical film to “culturally enrich” it with agitprop, but to my surprise the trailer was a fervid display of historical accuracy and cinematic fecundity on behalf of Mendes, who manages to capture some fantastic wide shots without cutaways or edits. You can check out the trailer for yourself below, featuring two minutes of intensity without giving anything away.
The film is about two soldiers sent on an errand to warn a garrison that their attack is actually part of a trap and that they are to withhold from attacking.
The trouble is that they only have until the morning to deliver the message, pitting them in a race against time to get across the front and warn their fellow allies about the trap.
To make matters worse is that one of the soldiers assigned to the mission has a brother who will be part of the wave of attackers who will surely die, meaning that he has a lot to lose in a very short amount of time.
Based on what was depicted in the trailer there were no moments of feminist empowerment, no out-of-the-ordinary diversity shots, no alphabet soup, and no preachy politics. It just looks like a straightforward World War I romp produced to be as realistic as possible.
It definitely has some Saving Private Ryan and Dunkirk vibes emanating throughout its celluloid veins, which could really help amplify the actoin sequences. There are also plenty of long steady shots that they depict within the short two minute trailer that makes the film look like it’s going to be an intense thrill-ride.
See, this is how you put a trailer together and this is how you market a historical film.
I’m definitely looking forward to 1917 when it drops this December in theaters.