Kelly Eaton

***SPOILERS*** This film is difficult and nearly relentless with it's horrifying depiction of WWI. The brief respites from the onslaught are incredibly well timed and executed to allow the audience a powerful sense of the nightmare experienced by these soldiers. Everything is tuned to instill foreboding of what's to come, coupled with the faintest, most hollow hope that our protagonist and his comrades will survive the next scene. The music may be the most powerful player toward this end, repeating the same 3 notes in a variety of timbres, nearly all fraying the nerves to the edge of sanity. There is no glory to be found in this depiction of war, though the scenes early on may lead us to believe otherwise. Every would be soldier should witness this film. You are now living the final moments of your life. They may stretch on for months, or even years, but this nightmare always ends in death, alone, just as the nightmare you live is yours alone. Every element of this film is poetry. The cinematography masterfully captures each scene from the most visceral and awe inspiring vantage points. The use of lens flares is mesmerizing, the various landscapes captivating and chilling, especially in context. The combat sequences are nail biting and harrowing. The editor masterfully compiled these images and timed them such that we are on an endlessly breathtaking rollercoaster of visual, auditory, emotional, and philosophical energy, all of which culminate in a mental feast for the viewer to contemplate over a long night sitting by a fire. They call this an anti-war film, and it may just be that. Would that my enemies should abandon their willingness to war and all people across all time and space forget the meaning of the word, so then could I be anti-war, too. Until that day, I will use this film to transport my soul to a place where I remember there is no such thing as a war that is won.