1917
1917
Two distinctly different views of valour emerge in this epic World War One film.
RATING: MA15+
RELEASE DATE: 22 April
The epic World War One film 1917 is set in northern France, where German and British forces are locked in a struggle over miles of muddy wasteland. Then news arrives that the Germans are retreating, leaving room for a British offensive. However, aerial reconnaissance reveals the withdrawal is a feint, designed to lead the Allies to within range of a deadly series of fortifications known as the Hindenburg Line.
Two soldiers are sent to deliver orders that call off the attack before a massacre ensues. Lance Corporals William Schofield and Tom Blake are tasked with carrying the message. Blake has the added incentive that his brother is likely to be drawn into the trap. But if they are going to save him and hundreds more, they’ll first have to cross miles of blasted countryside, barbed wire and enemy-held territory.
Writer-director Sam Mendes was inspired by the real World War One Operation Alberich, but based 1917’s personal side on stories told to him by his grandfather. Alfred Mendes was a veteran of the Belgian Front. Consequently, the film conveys a palpable sense of the brutality and horror associated with this conflict. So, viewers should be warned this is not one for the faint-hearted. Yet, despite its many traumatic scenes, the film has some valuable considerations for competing ideas of heroism.
What emerges are two distinctly different views of valour. Blake expresses the first, that there are principles worth risking, even trading your life for. This belief explains why he will risk his own life to save Schofield, even when there is nothing personal in the balance: one soldier does not abandon another. But Schofield holds a contrary view. He believes that real bravery is found in surviving for the sake of his family and his caution even in the face of the urgency of their commission makes that clear.
The real tragedy, though, is the way these ‘braveries’ are pitted against each other. The life of Jesus shows how it’s possible for a person to serve an ideal, and still serve his loved ones. The middle ground is found in realising that holding to our ideals is how we serve them best. Jesus demonstrated that devotion to God was the best thing he could do for those he loved. He did this by living a life of holiness and fulfilling his Father’s plan so that he might save us: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather ... he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6, 8).
In 1917, Schofield displayed his greatest bravery when he held to his duty over his personal safety and his family’s peace. But in so doing, he served them by modelling a man they could truly be proud of. In our case, we can serve both our values and our loved ones when we realise we love them best by holding to the life God has called us to.
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