Episode 176: Sam Mendes On The Music Of 1917

Soundtracking with Edith Bowman

It's been a jolly good week for our latest guest on Soundtracking, whose new film 1917 has just landed him a couple of gongs for best film and director at the Golden Globes and several BAFTA nominations.
We are, of course, talking about Sam Mendes, who joined Edith for a chat at London's Imperial War Museum towards the end of last year.

In case you don't know, 1917 tells the story of two soldiers in World War I charged with delivering a critical message to fellow troops, and is based on an firsthand account told to Sam by his grandfather.
Remarkably, the action is shot to appear like one continuous two-hour take. The fact that he pulls it off in such convincing fashion is thanks in no small part to the efforts of legendary cinematographer, Roger Deakins.
The score, meanwhile, is provided by Thomas Newman, who also worked with Sam on American Beauty and his Bond films.