Saw 1917 last night. Superb acting, script, cinematography. The movie seems shot as one long scene with few detectable breaks, few points where the director yells “cut”. The scene where George Mackay wanders through a forest guided by a wisp of a song which grows clearer as he nears its source, is a good example of this: The camera zooms the back of his head, pans to other soldiers, then the singer, and back to Mackay. And we’re taking it all in as if we are there in the middle of that troop.
The beautiful song that led Mackay’s character to find his comrades is Poor Wayfaring Stranger, and the young singer does a good job interpreting it. His high, thin voice is shocking; so young to be singing about death and eternity. Plaintively is the only way this song should be sung. “I’m only going over Jordan, I’m only going over home.” The Jordan river holds high symbolism in Christianity; it is the border between earth and heaven. Emmy Lou Harris’s version of this song is more dirge than hymn, and every bit heart-stabbing. Hers was my favorite until I heard this one. Johnny Cash recorded this song when he was a few months away from his own death; his voice is brittle and drenched with finality.
What is with the damn Germans? Why did they beat up Europe twice in the same century? And now they have welcomed the tribe of Ishmael who will destroy them. Yes Germany, you persecuted the peaceful, assimilated Semites; now the other Semites stand amongst you and bide their time.