Pulling off an epic war movie would seem to be challenge enough. But for Sam Mendes, that apparently was just too easy. The Skyfall director is attempting something with his new film, 1917 that few have tried: telling the story in just one shot (or at least making the finished product look that way). He, along with co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, cinematography god Roger Deakins and some other cast and crew explain the challenge of that in a new featurette.
1917, set during the chaos of World War I, follows two young British soldiers, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), who are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers – Blake’s own brother among them.
Telling the story as one shot meant plenty of difficulties, including battling the weather, not being able to cut away at points to help with editing and racing through takes as though it were theatre, not stopping if something went wrong.
The results will be on our screens on 10 January next year.