Despite being referred to as the "Great War", nobody
really talks about World War I. You don't see Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg
making tons of HBO specials about it, anyway. Spielberg did give us War Horse, but does anybody
think of that as a WWI film? There have been a few films, even a great one like All Quiet on the Western Front,
but for the most part it seems to be the forgotten conflict, likely because the
reason for it happening is still somewhat nebulous even today. Certainly, it
wasn't as distinctly "good vs. evil' as WWII was, which may explain why
Hollywood has chosen to focus on that conflict considerably more. And it's a
shame because WWI's murky reason for being is exactly what makes it so
interesting, and yet more catastrophic when viewed through the lens of those
affected by the tremendous number of casualties. Vera Brittain's powerful
memoir Testament of Youth captured the voice of those whose
lives had been torn apart by the fighting, and James Kent's towering film more
than echoes her passion.
Kent, best known for polished TV works
such as The White Queen,
gives a beautifully crafted, well-observed, and confident feature debut.
There's very little that's flashy about the film, but then again Brittain's
story calls for clear-headed insight and strong performances most of all. We're
afforded both in great supply, thanks to another unforgettable performance from
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, Anna Karenina),
and a supporting cast of rising Brit stars. The film begins in 1918 on
Armistice Day, when the Great War came to a close. Vera doesn't seem nearly as
happy as everyone else, and we can see in her eyes that it took too great of a
toll on her. She had seen too much. Flashing back to spring 1914, we see a
younger, happier Vera, frolicking in the water with her brother Edward (Taron
Egerton), and close friend Victor (Colin Morgan), who has developed a crush on
her. They're set to return to Oxford and Vera wishes to join them, but this is
a time when being a learned woman is largely frowned upon. Her parents (Dominic
West and Emily Watson) see it as a sure way for her never to find a man;
something Vera has no interest in, anyway.
That changes when the dashing Roland (Kit
Harington) shows up literally in that moment and Vera finds him unlike the
other boys. Not only is he handsome, but he's smart; a writer of beautiful
words just like her. More importantly, he doesn't look down on her dreams of
becoming a writer. He encourages it, "You absolutely must write", he
says. Love blossoms, but unfortunately so does the war and Roland enlists just
as they are to return to Oxford. He feels it's his duty, a claim also made by
Edward and later Victor when they enlist. With all of the people she cares
about most fighting on the frontlines, Vera gives up her studies in Oxford and
becomes a nurse, treating the wounded and dying soldiers.
WWI was a particularly brutal, mud-caked
slog and Kent captures the ugliness of the war without spending too much time
on the actual battlefield. The film focuses on the smaller moments away from
the fighting, and the personal forces that molded Vera into the woman she would
become. That, sadly, means an awful lot of death, and the film borders on being
too somber to be enjoyed. Vera is hit harder than most, and Juliette Towhidi's
screenplay somberly reflects how each casualty changes her. It's often tough to
watch, we come to feel so deeply for Vera and her plight. By the time the movie
ends you'll come to dread every time a phone rings or a telegram is received.
We've seen enough war movies to know these things are always bad news, but
there is truth in every time we see them here. This isn't a film playing up
Hollywood tropes.
The quiet moments aren't all gloomy;
otherwise it would simply be too much. There are small glimpses of light and
joy that peak through. Vera and Roland's gradual courtship, complete with the
occasional stolen kiss away from the chaperon, is a true pleasure. These moments
of happiness add weight to their somber future, like when Roland returns home a
changed man, afflicted with PTSD. The despair in her eyes is heartbreaking; the
anguish in his devastating. Whatever one may think of Harington on HBO's Game of Thrones,
he shows a side we've never seen from him before. He really clicks with
Vikander, who isn't afraid to show all of Vera's rough edges. She's hardly a
perfect heroine; she's a bit cold and abrasive, and at first a little tough to
like. But she's also honest, unafraid, and challenging. In the face of
incredible tragedy she doesn't break. Egerton, who we saw in Kingsman: The
Secret Service, shares some of the film's most tender moments with her.
Vera was a woman largely out of step with
the mainstream in her time. While others were touting patriotism as reason
enough to head to war, she was there arguing that no cause is worth millions of
deaths. She was there to speak for those who could no longer speak for
themselves, and by the time she gives a final, rousing anti-war speech we
understand the forces that shaped her. If perhaps too conventional and a little overlong, Testament
of Youth remains a beautiful
expression of Vera Brittain's resonant message against the senseless loss of
life.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
