by Anne van Oorschot

31 Jan 2020. On the last day of January, we had the first movie night of 2020. ☺ tíc members met at Pathé to view 1917 – a new movie about the First World War.

For those who have not seen this award-winning film, director Sam Mendes filmed in the “one-shot” format, stretching it out to feature length.  Several takes and set-ups are seamlessly conjoined to give the appearance of a continuous cinematic point-of-view, albeit with periodic ellipses. The result is an immersive drama that leads the viewer through the trenches and battlefields of northern France, as two young British soldiers attempt to make their way through enemy lines on 6 April 1917.

While the WWI battlefield is gruesome, the viewer experiences it almost in his peripheral vision as the 2 main characters hurry through it. Talking about the film over a drink afterwards, several of us commented on how the film pulled you in…making one jump when a door opened or a shot rang out. We were literally on the edge of our seats, but – thankfully – safe in the theater. It was a gripping story that gave a real sense of the horrors experienced by regular soldiers. An extra bit of personal connection appeared in the film’s dedication in the end credits: To Lance Corporal Alfred H. Mendes [the director’s grandfather] “who told us the stories.”

Fortunately, everyone had ordered festive and colorful drinks and our conversations soon turned to more modern subjects: why parents invite adults to their kids 1year birthday parties; what is special about the city government in Hämeenlinna, Finland; needing a real vacation; the joys of a non-busy weekend and the surprising challenge of paying for our drinks.☺ It was great to start the weekend out with the friendly faces of tíc!

#TilburgInternationalClub #Expatlife #movienight #1917 #pathe #WWI