1917, director Sam Mendes’s latest venture (American Beauty, Road to Perdition), is a stunning achievement in cinematography, visual effects, sound editing, sound mixing, production design, makeup and design, and direction. While not everyone will be on board with the story, it is hard to deny this movie’s technical accomplishments. I found the story gripping. Still, I completely understand why some will have problems with the sequencing of events, the placement of props, or the overall mission. If, like me, you can let yourself become immersed in all this movie brings to the table, you will have one of the more emotional movie-theater experiences of your lifetime.