"Stirring, balanced and beautiful
."
There are no winners in war, only losers. There are no
glorious victories, only miserable deaths and sad endings. With subtlety and
nostalgic pathos, James Kent brings us a story about one young brave woman and
the men she lost in the First World War. Based on Vera Brittain’s bestselling memoir
first published in 1933, Testament of
Youth is the story of that ill-fated war through a woman’s and pacifist’s
point of view.
Four years before the 1918 Armistice Day, Vera Brittain (Alicia Vikander) is a young woman whose passion for learning earns her a spot as
a student at Somerville College, Oxford. When World War I breaks out, three men
closest to her are sent for combat – her brother Edward (Taron Egerton), her fiancé
Roland Leighton (Kit Harington) and their friend Victor (Colin Morgan) who harbours
an unrequited crush on her. Following their heroism and demise in the battle
fronts, Vera leaves college to join the Voluntary Aid Detachment as a nurse
tending the wounded and dying in London, Malta and France. After the war, she
returns home to participate in another fight – the fight for peace for both the
victors and losers.
Testament of Youth is
a beautiful marriage of romance and history. It’s historical without being dull
and contrite; it’s romantic without being overindulgent and sexual. It is
basically a war story yet it spares the audience the horror and violence of
rifle shooting and human massacre. Instead, it explores the more horrifying and
stirring elements of war – sending people you care for away to battle, waiting
for them, caring for the wounded, watching people die and coping with your lost.
With its more personal approach, the movie has plenty of little moments that
can pick our heartstrings such as the sobbing father, farewell at the train station,
daily scrutiny of news bulletin for those who have “fallen in combat,” the dead
and wounded on stretchers near the battlefields of France, and Vera sinking in
the mud to know how the men felt in battle. Vera’s speech towards the end of
the movie is a stand out. Being a nurse who has tended both British and German
soldiers, she knows firsthand the agony of killing people and the fear of
dying. In bold words, she speaks up for the men who want to go home, reunite
with their loved ones, and make peace with the world.
Aside from exempting us from the blood and gore of war, the
movie also delivers the story in a relaxed and easy manner. Though most scenes
are moving, the film in general is not overly dramatic and overstated. It is
neither superficial nor excessive; it is just profound enough to be both mind
and heart provoking. It is also not hurried, giving the audience ample time to invest
in the characters.
Moreover, Testament of Youth has that faraway vibe. The landscapes and the clothes must have created that
effect. In fact, the movie looks very expensive, much more than its production budget
of $10 million. The occasional flashbacks may have also contributed in bringing
that dreaminess. These moments deal with the love story between Vera and Roland.
Harrington’s voiceover as he reads poems brings out both radiance and
ghostliness of the flashbacks. However, the film goes out of focus at some
points and the vagueness, though stimulating, veers away from the central
theme. Understandably, the movie is only two hours long and all the contents of
a 600-page memoir may not be possibly crammed into that amount of time.
Other than its technical aspects, the movie also succeeds
because of the honest and affecting performances of the cast. Though they only
play minor roles as Vera’s father and mother, respectively, Dominic West and
Emily Watson exhibit the strength and hidden weakness of parents supportive of
their children’s choices. Morgan, who is popularly known for playing the
titular role in BBC’s Merlin, is
perfect as the shy and subtle admirer and he exudes readiness for bigger and
more mature roles. Egerton as Vera’s brother possesses warm sincerity and
vulnerability which lets us see into the soul of the man tarnished by war. Harington
is a big revelation. He has shown more dimensions in the film, a total diversion
from his Jon Snow persona in HBO’s Game
of Thrones. But it is Vikander who shines the most. She has already shown
how promising she is with A Royal Affair
(2012), Anna Karenina (2012) and Ex Machina (2012). Now, she just cemented
her stellar talent by bringing us a versatile character who has risen from a
stubborn high-society lady to a woman who has stood bravely against the horrors
and pains of war.
Lastly, the movie has potentials to be a sleeper hit. It premiered on October 2014 as part of London Film Festival. Its first theatrical release
was in the UK on January 2015, with several airings in different parts of the
world in the following months. The film appeals to many generations. The memoir
and the 1979 BBC mini-series could pull the older demographics while the fresh,
handsome and talented actors will attract the young ones.
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