France, April 6, 1917. Two British lance corporals — Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) — are summoned to the command tent of General Erinmore (Colin Firth).
Erinmore’s mission is the moral engine of the entire film: deliver a message to Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch), ordering him to call off a dawn attack on what German forces have made into a trap. If the attack proceeds, 1,600 men will die — including Blake’s own brother, an officer in Mackenzie’s regiment.
Director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins shot the film to appear as one continuous, unbroken take — an astonishing technical and artistic achievement that places the viewer in real time alongside the two soldiers for every step of their journey. Colin’s appearance, though brief, carries enormous weight: it is the last moment of order before the chaos begins.