Before Dawn
In an age after “Saving Private Ryan,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “1917,” it’s very difficult- I think- for conventional war narratives to captivate audiences like they used to. Unless you have a strong script or performances, it depends upon stylistic choices a filmmaker like the ones Spielberg, Coppola and Mendes made in order for our attention to be held. The hook for “Before Dawn,” a new WWI film from Australia, is a sincere one, but the film is more of a war programmer than something people will remember over the years. If you’re an aficionado of the genre, that might be enough.
Responsibility to family vs. responsibility to country is one of the oldest narratives for war films imaginable. In the screenplay Jarrad Russell wrote from director Jordon Prince-Wright’s story ideas, that is the central dilemma for Jim Collins (Levi Miller), a young man from West Australia who feels an obligation go to Europe and fight on the front lines with his friends. It’s a hard sell to his father, who needs the help on their ranch, but he says it’s only for six months, hoping his efforts can help to expedite the end of the war. That was in 1916; the days, and months, continue, and the end of the war feels further and further away, especially as more of Jim’s friends die in combat.
You can make a connection with this film and Peter Weir’s terrific WWI drama, “Gallipoli,” with Mel Gibson. That was about a different conflict, but the central ideas of youthful idealism giving away to horror is the same. It is to Russell and Prince-Wright’s credit that they understand how powerful that can be, and I like the way we see this film unfold in that respect, as the days progress, the death gets more personal, and hope for an end to the conflict feels more and more remote. One of the things that makes WWI narratives, whether it’s this, “Gallipoli,” “1917” or “All Quiet on the Western Front,” feel different than films about other wars is the sense of optimism giving way to horror that seems to be at their core. It no doubt reflects the “Great War” being the deadliest in history, up to that point, but there’s something unique about the way that idea plays out in films about this war that doesn’t really translate to another war. Even if his overall approach to the war in “Before Dawn” feels small compared to previous films on the conflict- he does a decent job as a director when it comes to action and editing, but it’s not a significant effort in that respect- Prince-Wright’s narrative sincerity keeps us engaged, and caring whether Jim makes it home or not. That’s one of the most important parts of any war story; this one delivers on that.
