Sam Mendes dives into the trenches for his next film, 1917, promising to do for First World War movies what Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk did for WW2.
Mendes has set himself an extra challenge by filming 1917 to resemble one continuous shot, taking place across real time on the Western Front.
Striving for authenticity, the Skyfall director wants to put the audience alongside his characters “…every step of the journey, breathing every breath with these men”.
Telling a Gallipoli style story of two soldiers who must race across enemy territory to stop a deadly attack, 1917 stars Captain Fantastic’s George Mackay and Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman as the men charged with the mission.
Of course, digital stitching will tie different shots into one seamless whole. But check out the below video for a sense of the massive task Mendes and legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins have set themselves.
Including why sunny days were another enemy the filmmakers had to face and how, like theatre, there was no stopping if mistakes were made.
1917 is released in cinemas on Friday 10th January next year and also stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, Daniel Mays, Mark Strong and Colin Firth.
