Rising from nobody to somebody isn’t out of reach for ordinary people. The war film 1917, released (上映) in the Chinese mainland this month, shows this to be true. It focuses on the journey of two “tommies (士兵)” traveling across No Man’s Land to prevent 1,600 fellow soldiers from walking into a German trap (陷阱) during World War I. Actors Dean Charles Chapman (Blake), 23, and George MacKay (Schofield), 28, were chosen by director Sam Mendes to play the two unknown soldiers because most audiences are unfamiliar to them. Talking about the character of Schofield, Mendes told Screendaily, “[He is] quite old-fashioned and dignified; a kind of understated heroism (低调的英雄主义) … It was an idea that is beautifully embodied by George.”