After a long and dramatic Oscar race, it looks as if Sam Mendes' World War I adventurestory1917is poised to take home the coveted golden statue as Best Picture. The film started its awards streak with a win for Best Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes, which, at the time, was considered a surprise. As awards season progressed, however,1917 no longer seemed likean upset of a choice for Academy voters, as the acclaimed feature took home the top Producers' Guild Award as well as the Directors' Guild of America Award.

However, theAcademy Awards have a longstanding reputation for recognizing war filmsin lieu of other genres of filmmaking.1917, despite its impressive technical achievements, adds little to the pantheon of Oscar-winning cinema about the horrors of war.It's an unfortunate turn of events for the other nominees, which arguably broke bolder narrative ground than a gorgeously shot but simply told World War I story. Furthermore,1917 doesn't challenge the viewers' ideas on war in the same way other films released this past year attempted to broaden audiences' horizons on morality, violence, and socio-political issues.

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TakeJoker, for instance, which completely reinterpreted the limits of a comic book movie. While the narrative of1917follows familiar war movie beats,Joker seeks tomake the audience feel uncomfortable aboutpreconceived notions of the title character. While it may follow a previously established plot formula taken fromTaxi DriverandThe King of Comedy, the film argues that comic book stories don't have to be limited to blockbuster action sequences and colorful, heroic adventures. Critics of Jokerargue that the movie is too dark and cynical, completely failing to address its message in favor of reveling in nihilism. But at least director and co-writer Todd Philips attempted to challenge viewers' ideas of morality andthe corroding effects ofcapitalism, however bleak and frustratingly pointless that depiction is.1917, on the other hand, merelytips its hat to the British troops for their sacrifices.

Another entry up for the big award is Jojo Rabbit, which also works as an apt comparison to the flatness of1917.Writer and director Taika Waititi made a bold choice in looking at World War II from the perspective of the antagonistic side of the war, and received a fair share of controversy forusing the Holocaust as a backdrop for a comedy. However, his intention was to use satire to depict the sheer absurdity of hate. The fact that the film takes place on the German home front means that it can also show the multitude of German citizens living under the Nazi regime, whether they were reluctantly participating in the war or actively resisting it. Compare this to the German soldiers in 1917, who arenameless murderers with no sign of remorse or moral compass. There's a debate to be had about how responsible theexecution ofJojo Rabbit is, but it should be commended for addressing complex wartime issues.

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In fact, the influence of social pressures on the perception of morality seems to be a common trend among most of the Oscar nominees.Parasite is a fresh take on class issues thatsuggests the tensions between the haves and the have-nots are not so clearly defined. The Irishmanpresents a protagonistat a moral crossroads as he tries to find personal and financial success within his dark, criminal business. Marriage Storytakes a closer look at another type of war altogether, allowing the audience to sympathize with both sides of a gendered, interpersonal conflict in the form of divorce proceedings. All of these films push the boundaries of cinematic storytelling through their complicated characterizations and topical themes.

Sam Mendes' epic is a Hollywood blockbuster taken to stressful and bombastic heights, but it's still a Hollywood blockbuster that conforms to a specific formula. In fact, the plot almost resembles a superhero movie or Call of Duty video game in its straightforward telling of a quest to reach a specific location to deliver a message. The one-take technique allows the members of the audience to feel as if they are experiencing the horrors of war on a personal level. However, 1917 doesn't make a compelling statement other than how hellish war is, a message that countless war films in the past have meticulously covered.

To be fair,1917is a highly ambitious technical masterpiece. For all the war movies that have passed through the annals of the Academy, none has ever felt quite as immersive as this one has. Cinema is ultimately subjective, so one idea of "revolutionary filmmaking" may look different than another. Still, the ideas of1917feel oddly conventional compared to the more contemporary messages of the other Best Picture nominees. Even Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a film that celebrates a bygone era, follows an unconventional narrative structure. In a field full of stories that passionately address current issues,1917stands out as an ode to past traditions.

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1917 Is a Best Picture Frontrunner and That's Frustrating | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources