The Last Leg; An Editing Analysis of 1917’s Famous Battlefield Scene
1917 is an iconic movie for both film lovers and editors alike. The editing of this film is unique and complex in a way that is almost invisible. The entire film has less than 40 hidden cuts, making it seem as though the entire feature is one continuous take.
Toward the end of the film, one particular scene utilizes this “single-take” method particularly well. The main character, Lance Corporal Schofield has finally reached his destination, and is trying to get his message to Colonel Mackenzie; the only person who can stop an attack before it leads to a massacre of British soldiers. Schofield cannot pass through the trenches, so he risks his life by running over the top of them, through an active battlefield.
The scene begins with Schofield shouting, demanding to know where Colonel Mackensie is. He is told that the Colonel is 300 yards down the trench from him. The shot leaves Schofield for a moment and dollies over his shoulder to reveal the trench from his point of view. This evokes an emotion of dread and tension as Schofield realizes he cannot get through. The first explosions are shaking the ground. The trench is packed with soldiers waiting to ascend the side and into battle. They are completely blocking Schofield’s path to Mackenzie. The character that Schofield is talking to tells him that he will have to wait until the first wave is out. Schofield cannot afford to wait. The shot then pulls back and around to face Schofield again in a medium closeup as he surveys the trench. In this shot we see the dread and conflict on his face. He then shifts his attention to the beginning of the battle over the side of the trench. As we are pulled closer to him, the shot reveals Schofield’s intentions to go around the soldiers blocking the trenches from above ground. Without looking back, Schofleild leaves the trench, and begins running along the now active battlefield, perpendicular to the other soldiers hurtling forward into the battle.
As Schofield runs. The shot pulls back from his face to reveal his whole body, and to show to the fullest effect of the amount of energy Schofield is putting into this final 300 yard sprint. The shot pulls out even farther to reveal the severity of the attack, and the mass amount of damage that will be done if it is not stopped. This extreme long shot also depicts just how small Schofield is in comparison to the size of the war, and how he is just one small person who so many people’s lives are hanging on even though they do not know it. This shot is so meaningful because it holds the whole meaning of the movie within it; One person can only do so much, but it can mean everything. After Schofield has sprinted for almost 30 seconds, he abruptly tumbles back into the trench and is followed from behind by us, as the viewers, in a medium shot. The adrenaline is still high, as the audience was afraid he wouldn’t make it this far. Before the audience has a chance to relax as Schofield approaches Mackenzie’s quarters, he is stopped by fellow soldiers. The pacing of this scene does not allow the audience to breathe any sighs of relief just yet, but gives them a small taste of it after Schofield survives. The rhythm keeps them on the edge of their seats right up until Schofield enters the Corporal’s hut, and finally gets to relay the message he has been fighting to pass on for so long.
The effects of this scene being portrayed as one continuous shot are incredibly impactful. Emotionally, this method gives the viewers a look into the agony of precious time passing while Schofield is trying to navigate his way through such a short stretch of trenches. The way the scene is shot and edited makes us feel as though we are standing in the trenches with Schofield, seeing what he is seeing and experiencing the war right along with him, but also shows us his face and by extension, his feelings. Though the scene is “one shot,” it incorporates many shot angles, types, and distances, which allows for meaningful “cuts” from one camera placement to the next, and makes a way for us to see everything from wide views of a whole battle, to the emotions on a single soldier’s face without using a true cut.
