It’s amazing how little people remember about one of the biggest wars in the history of the world, or even how it started. This is something that we’re taught in history class when we’re young, and unfortunately many of us tend to lose it by the time we’re in high school unless we plan on becoming historians or are exceptionally bright. The war actually started in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and it didn’t end until 1918, but four years of struggle between some of the mightiest nations on the face of the earth is hardly something that we should be forgetting. If for no other reason this should be why people get in line to see 1917. Another reason of course would be that it’s a story that seems fit to be both gripping and highly emotional since it details the mission bestowed upon two British soldiers that will send them running into danger rather than away from it to warn of a German ambush. The battlefield of WWI was no less treacherous than that of the following war and despite the importance of the message and the fact that one of the soldiers’ brother is among those that are walking into an ambush, the path forward is bound to be nothing less than a one-way trip no matter what.
Because many people won’t remember, this was also the year that America finally entered the war, as they had been sitting on the sidelines up until this point, trying not to get involved. It’s ironic really that America is now so heavily involved in just about every conflict it can find when at one time our country didn’t want much to do with the troubles of our allies. There’s a great deal of explanation as to why such a thing happened, but focusing instead on the movie seems a bit more important at this point. The mission handed down to the two soldiers became a quest of sorts that pitted them against enemy soldiers, their own fears, and a battlefield that was already strewn with bodies and pitfalls of all sorts. It’s the type of war movie that reminds you that what you see on the screen happened in real life for many men during this time, and many never made it home.
War movies have become a very big part of the entertainment industry and unfortunately while some of them do the stories they follow a great deal of justice, others fall short of the mark and seem to be more interested in the carnage that damaged so many individuals throughout each conflict that the true story that might not sell as many tickets. The men that fought and bled in these furious battles were those that were giving their lives for an ideal that was far greater than themselves something that many men and women in the armed forces still do since they continue to believe in something greater than the individual, a belief that has kept the armed forces and our very country from teetering into the brink on many occasions. This is another reason to go see this movie, to remind yourself that those fighting for your freedoms, the same freedoms that too many of us take for granted, are those that don’t always come home.
The release date for this movie is kind of odd to be certain since it comes out on December 25th, which isn’t unheard of since even horror movies have come out on Christmas, but it is still kind of an odd selection as a release date since during the Christmas season many people want to see something uplifting, cuddly, cute, and possibly inspiring. Without offense to anyone that remembers those furious times, WWI was a rather difficult time for many people, especially those on the ground that had to live through it. But it does seem as though enough people will be making their way to the theater to see this movie as a good number of folks appear to be intrigued as to what it will show and how it will depict the first world war. At this point none of those that served in WWI and saw action are still alive, so it’s fair to say that they have earned their rest and hopefully their memory will be served well by this movie. Those that are still alive and served in WWII might find themselves a bit taken aback by this if only because it will remind them of what they too faced on the battlefield. Given that many of these individuals are in their 80s and 90s typically it’s easy to think that many of them might not make it to the theater, though once again, it’s a big hope that those going to watch this movie will come to understand the importance of it.
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