Altercations and intrepidness on battlefields pique our interest more than anything. The age-old concept of war has generally led the multitude to envision it either with a false sense of glory or as a marvel of prowess. From romanticizing the bloody aspect of war in honour of the Star - Spangled Banner to the stark portrayal of the harrowing reality of war, wartime situations have had their fair share of variegated nuances in beliefs and ideals depicted on screen and have much since evolved.

1917 (2020) is a fresh breath of air to the long run of roaring marvels. Its opening scene in particular reminds us of Arthur Rimbaud's 'Asleep in the Valley' which soon cuts short to represent to us the putrid scenario that WW-I left in its wake. The raw emotional rush courses through your veins as the protagonists begin their mission. They fall, they rise, get overwhelmed, emerge victorious, and with them the audience does too. The haunting maturity that war gives within a span of few hours resonates for long.

This enterprise takes a block out of the devastative layout of World War I, intensively intending to point out the efforts of two soldiers to keep a British battalion of 1600 unsuspecting soldiers, including a kin out of harm's way by delivering an alarming message of ambush. The lead figures are every bit lively as bravehearts and as scarred and tormented survivors of annihilation. The isolated life of a soldier in the trenches, the pang of longing, the wait for the ultimate knell away from the warmth of near and dear ones, gets the perfectly toned background score in "I'm going home.." 

আরও পড়ুন - মঁসিয়ে ভের্দু : অ-চ্যাপলিনোচিত চ্যাপলিন

The humane gestures offered on realizing the identicality from the opposite camp in spite of the looming threat is a welcoming nod to Dylan's immortal lines from Jon Brown, where he had confirmed about wartime and that the other person holding a gun to a soldier's face is the mirror image. 

Illusion surrounding a token of appreciation earned can never trouble the scarred mental state of a soldier. Losing one's medal doesn't concern an active participant. It is but "a scrap of ribbon to cheer up a widow" or a mother. Trading a medal to save oneself and not brooding over it, is an act of sensibility. Sacrificing the sentimentality is not at all 'waste' because "it's just a bit of bloody tin!" It is this realization, this awareness, which should resonate in the war dramas instead of glorifying war and hollow patriotic ideals.

The opposition, too have people to care for back at home. They too are fond of tokens they hold dear of. It is a shame that connoisseurs of different arts waste their moments in futile wars that reap nothing but senseless destruction. We are temporal beings. What make life worth living are the little moments of happiness among the people around us. In their every waking step, the soldiers too disregard the horrors and try to extract every ounce of nectar out of life.

Behind the gloominess of clouds there is a silver lining. Even amidst the horrors of war a budding life gives us rays of hope as it finds a way to bloom, with or without an identity. The French woman and the British reinforcement-unit officer here adequately aid the shell-shocked protagonist in their own ways. Their timely intervention is crucial for Corporal Schofield to move on with his quest while retaining his humanity.

আরও পড়ুন : প্যাট্রিক গ্রাহামের ‘বেতাল’ ও একটি সম্ভাবনার অপমৃত্যু

The sap trench depicts the inevitable apocalyptic wasteland if humanity does not mend its ways. The innards of the dead are the burrowing ground for rats. We find that wartime provisions are worth more than a soldier's life. The 'single-shot' technique succeeds to establish an empathetic link and the audience is made to follow the main protagonists' day long activities and intricacies with perturbing anticipation.

The misery and pity surrounding the false sense of patriotism has aptly found its voice in 1917. This film remains an amazing yet appalling portrayal of the turn-out of the World War I from the visionary Sam Mendes and his equally proficient cast and crew, making this marvellous storytelling a compelling watch to audience of all ages.