At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers.
Direction
Mendes fakes one continuous take — you'll forget to breathe.
Cinematography
Deakins' lighting turns hell into horrifying beauty.
Production
Trenches built to exact 1917 specifications — over 5200 feet of them.
Director
Sam Mendes
George MacKay
Lance Corporal Schofield
Dean-Charles Chapman
Lance Corporal Blake
Mark Strong
Captain Smith
Andrew Scott
Lieutenant Leslie
Richard Madden
Lieutenant Blake
Claire Duburcq
Lauri
Colin Firth
General Erinmore
Benedict Cumberbatch
Colonel MacKenzie
Daniel Mays
Sergeant Sanders
Adrian Scarborough
Major Hepburn
Chris Walley
Private Bullen
Nabhaan Rizwan
Sepoy Jondalar
Jamie Parker
Lieutenant Richards
Tommy French
Private Butler
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Roger Deakins won his first Oscar after 13 nominations — the Academy finally corrected its greatest injustice.
Mendes based the story on his grandfather's WWI account; the hidden cut after Schofield is knocked unconscious mirrors actual trauma memory gaps.
US
