1917

Two British soldiers must rush behind enemy lines to halt a doomed maneuver—and save thousands of lives—in this technically innovative blockbuster from the director of Skyfall and Spectre, which opened one year after Britain’s prolonged anniversary of “the Great War.” Notable for presenting the illusion of being filmed in only one long tracking shot (modern technology actually conceals several cuts), 1917 received ten Academy Award nominations and was a huge commercial success. “If you want to know what the front could be like in 1917, then [Sam] Mendes has done so much to satisfy you. . . . It is a ravishing, virtuoso experience” (David Thomson).