Hollywood’s producers handed “1917” their top annual prize, a reliable Oscars bellwether that puts the World War I thriller in the box seat for next month’s showpiece event.
The movie, which follows two British soldiers on a perilous mission across no man’s land, has already scooped the Golden Globe for best drama, and has 10 Oscar nominations including for best picture.
Collecting the Producers Guild of America (PGA) film award at a celebrity-packed ceremony in Los Angeles, director Sam Mendes said making the film was “humbling, joyful and by far the best experience of my professional life.”
In a bold filmmaking experiment, “1917” travels through trenches and crater-filled battlefields in what appears to be almost one continuous shot stretching for two hours.
“From the first day we actually shot — we did a six- or seven-minute take — I thought ‘this is exciting’,” Mendes told AFP.
“And I didn’t feel we ever looked back. We had difficult days but I never doubted it.”
He added: “It’s certainly unlike any movie I’ve made.”
Source: The Peninsula
