Behind-the-scenes footage shows incredible way they filmed iconic 1917 running scene all in one take

A side-by-side comparison video reveals how director Sam Mendes managed to film an incredible scene in war film 1917 in one continuous shot, following the film's addition to Netflix today.

The 2019 epic was thought up by Mendes, who has directed two James Bond films in his career, while also directing other hit movies such as American Beauty.

But there is one jaw-dropping scene in 1917 that stands out as one of the best shots ever in any war film, that was a stroke of genius from the film crew.

Released in 2019 in the US and in 2020 in the UK, the film follows two young soldiers as them embark on a near impossible mission to deliver a crucial message to another battalion to save 1,600 lives.

The film portrays the horror and size of World War I, showing exactly why it was dubbed 'The Great War', as almost 40 million civilian and military casualties took place.

Mendes added a sense of suspense and importance to the two young men's journey, filming the battlefield scene as if it was just one continuous shot, asking for the assistance of legendary cinematographer, Roger Deakins.

Sure, there are a couple of digital cuts, but you'd never even know they were there.

It turns out that they filmed the scene four times, having enough explosives for those runs, but all of them were filmed the same way as the final cut.

The battlefield scene was all in one shot. (Universal / eOne)

Speaking to Total Film about the decision, Mendes said: "There were days when you were like, 'Why did I do this to myself?'"

He admitted that some scenes took 'hundreds of takes - literally' to get down. Mendes spoke of the frustration which can boil over when a lengthy scene has to be re-shot.

The Skyfall director continued: "We got through this whole scene - five-and-a-half minutes of absolutely everything in the right place, just beautiful, and the camera operator tripped on the mattress. Total human error. And it's like, 'No!!!'"

Speaking to Deadline, Deakins added: "The front page of 1917 was this imagined to be one continuous shot and you [say] 'Really?'

"I was concerned it was a gimmick but it's not a gimmick, it's a way to get sucked into the story. Every film has a different way to tell a story and this was a particular challenge."

The side-by-side comparison highlights how complicated it was to shoot the scene. (Universal / eOne)

The film stars George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman as the two Tommies packed off on what seems to be a suicide mission.

Set in Northern France in Spring 1917 - obviously - the synopsis speaks of 'a seemingly impossible mission' for the two soldiers to deliver the important message that warns the battalion of an ambush.

As well as Mackay and Chapman, the film also stars Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Fans of the film can now watch 1917 on Netflix, after it was added to the streaming platform today.