Page 2 January 2, 2020
Entertainment
1917 is a Triumph, Unlike
Anything You’ve Ever Seen
By Morgan Rojas for cinemacy.com
Much like the young soldiers in the film,
director Sam Mendes set out on a seemingly
impossible mission: create a feature-length
WWI film in a single take. That’s 119 minutes
of real-time conflict and non-stop adrenaline
rush, in one take. Not only is 1917’s mere
existence already a success, but it’s also one
of the most technically proficient, emotionally
compelling, and jaw-dropping goliaths
of a war film that I’ve ever seen. Set in the
desolate trenches behind British lines, 1917,
now playing in theaters, will undeniably rank
side by side with some of the best war films
of all time.
Often, the individual faces of soldiers are
lost amongst a sea of thousands of uniformed
troops; 1917 puts a face to two brave young
men who were willing to sacrifice all they
had to save the lives of others. On April 6th,
1917, Privates Schofield (George MacKay) and
Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are selected
for a potentially deadly mission. They are to
deliver a time-sensitive and life-saving message
to their neighboring battalion troop of 1,600
men ordering them to cease their scheduled
attack against the Germans. The attack, it turns
out, would be an ambush, killing the British
soldiers, including Private Blake’s older brother.
Schofield and Blake only have until dawn the
next morning to relay the news, and so begins
the race against the clock, the Germans, and
the pan’s labyrinth of battlefield death traps
they’ll encounter along the way.
Technically speaking, 1917 is no doubt a
cinematic feat, and the same can be said on
screen with much praise belonging to George
MacKay. As the lead in what is likely one of
the most challenging films of any actor’s career,
he carries 1917 with strength and a certain
sweetness. His performance is astounding,
both physically and emotionally. Dean-Charles
Chapman equally commands the screen as a
desperate young soldier who will do whatever
it takes to help his brother. Andrew Scott,
Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Madden
also contribute their talents, rounding out a
powerhouse ensemble cast.
What’s equally as impressive as the film itself
is the credits, which run almost 10 minutes.
The thousands of names that scroll across the
screen are a sharp reminder of the amount of
work, time, money, and passion that goes into
making a film, especially one of this size and
caliber. Highlighted in the thousands of names
are frequent Mendes-collaborators, including
cinematographer Richard Deakins (Skyfall)
and composer Thomas Newman (American
Beauty). Their contributions to 1917 make
the film what it is: unforgettable.
There have been a handful of war films this
year, A Hidden Life, Jojo Rabbit, and Midway,
all telling specific stories of life on the outskirts
or battlefields of their respective wars. While
powerful in their own way, nothing holds a candle
to the brute force imagery that 1917 pulls off.
Based on the audible “wows” from the audience
and minutes-long applause as the credits rolled
during my press screening, it looks like Mendes
and company will be a frontrunner in the battle
for Best Picture this awards season. •
Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Morgan Rojas
Film Review
Citizen Scientist: Silent Earth
Project Maps Quiet and Kerrangs
By Tommy Vinh Bui, MLIS, Associate
Librarian, Inglewood Public Library
The holiday hubbub can be a carol-fueled
cacophony of noise and tumult. From the
squelch of sneakers on fluorescent-lit linoleum
floors to the nonstop deluge of seasonal
tunes droning through mall PA systems. It’s
enough to have one popping aspirins like Tic
Tacs all the livelong day. Exasperating and
everlasting, it seems.
But there does exist a small cove of relief
for your ears. The Silent Earth Project
compels everyday Citizen Scientists to rally
together and seek out quiet places in your
local community. This dulcet eardrumsoothing
endeavor encourages residents to
use their smartphones to record sound level
measurements systematically in their own
communities. The ultimate objective is to
study and discover outdoor spaces with
the lowest decibel range within any given
region. These sound measurements take
just a moment but contribute greatly to the
study of noise pollution in urban and rural
environments. The acoustical data returned
gets synthesized and represented on a map by
the National Park Service displaying where
the quietest and, conversely, loudest locales
are coast to coast in the United States. It’s
an ambitious project that will help construct
a clearer picture of the acoustical flux and
change that communities undergo. Be it the
gentle nocturnal murmur of cicadas or the
roaring blast of turbine engines rending over
Inglewood skies.
Current data shows that the eastern half of
the United States tends to skew louder than
the western part. The National Park Service
map strives to be comprehensive by recording
both natural and manmade sounds and, as expected,
the highest densities of ear-wrenching
volumes are commonly found in populated
urban centers. The National Parks Service’s
Natural Sounds project is an ongoing aim
that has so far recorded 1.5 million hours’
worth of long-term soundscape measurements
across sites scattered throughout the
contiguous United States. The data collected
is thorough and the map created combines
samples with nuanced information such as
latitude and longitude along with date and
time of day recorded. Other datum that is
represented in the map includes climate
and moisture levels. Researchers have discovered
that wetter locales containing thick
vegetation and flora tend to be noisier than
converse ecosystems such as deserts or alpine
meadows. Other useful information that is
collected includes topographic details such
as elevation along with biodiversity data and
seasonal variability.
So be inspired and be involved with environmental
sound stewardship and aid in
the study of the preservation of vulnerable
soundscapes by helping to collect and monitor
critical information about noise levels in
your own community. Be it the chorus of
birdsong that wafts through your garden or
the mechanical chug of local subway cars
lumbering through your corner intersection.
All sounds and data gathered will help researchers
gain a better understanding of our
surroundings and connection to the natural
world. I’d be hard pressed to argue otherwise
that natural sounds are considered a valuable
resource for wellbeing and a significant attribute
to a region’s all-around welfare and
vigor. Research has shown that exposure to
natural sounds yields tremendous health benefits
for individuals such as reducing stress,
improving moods, increasing cognitive acuity,
and inducing overall social well-being. The
societal benefits are manifestly manifold.
And what better place can you experience
the salubrious effects of silence than at your
neighborhood public library. Where the sound
of pages being rustled never crawls above a
whisper and lips quietly mouth paragraphs that
enrapture and capture the reader’s imagination
in stark repose. If you’re looking for a hushed
acre of placidity and thoughtful reflection
in the hurly-burly of the post-holidays, the
library should be your go-to destination.
Where the stacks furnish abundant serenity
from opening until closing.
One of the last remaining tabernacles of
guaranteed tranquility in these migrainemauling
turbulent times. Lumber on in and
lap up the life-buoying lull lent at the local
public library. •
Tommy Vinh Bui
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