Starring in a war movie is no piece of cake. There are the physical demands of the explosions and the mud, not to mention the sheer emotional weight – and in 1917, there was an added pressure. Sam Mendes’ latest is a World War I movie presented as one long, continuous take, Roger Deakins’ camera following lead actors Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay through hellish battlefields and claustrophobic trenches without (visibly) cutting away. The pair play soldiers on a vital mission that, if successful, could save 1600 lives – but the trip behind enemy lines proves, inevitably, harrowing.
In the new issue ofEmpire, on sale Thursday 28 November, Empire goes inside the making of the incredibly ambitious picture, from inception through to post-production. While the finished result is seamlessly stitched together, it was shot in a series of extended takes lasting up to eight-and-a-half minutes long – which proved intense and demanding to the performers. “It allows you to lose yourself in the scene,” says Chapman, seen earlier this year in Blinded By The Light and The King. “The thing about this film is that it never felt fake. I can honestly say there were so many scenes we did that I was so lost in, I couldn’t stop crying afterwards. I felt it helped my performance.”
Read more about Mendes’ propulsive war movie in Empire’s biggest ever Star Wars issue – which comes with a bonus Skywalker Saga magazine, plus a Dark Rey art card. Find it on newsstands from Thursday 28 November. 1917 comes to UK cinemas on 10 January 2020.
