Testament of Youth (2014)

Testament of Youth (2014) was directed by James Kent. It's a dramatic film based on the autobiography of the noted English pacifist, Vera Brittain.

Alicia Vikander plays Vera Brittain, who in pre-WW I England, is barely allowed by her family to think for herself. She wants to go to Oxford and become a writer. Neither of these options is welcomed by her family. She persists, and does, indeed, get accepted at Oxford. However, all this debate and discussion about her future becomes basically irrelevant when World War I breaks out. Her brother, her fiancé, and their good friend all join the army. Vera becomes a nurse, first in England and then at the front.

There aren't too many battle scenes. Instead--and in a way, worse--we get scenes of the carnage that follows the battles. When Vera is at the front, the scenes at the aid stations are graphic and horrible to watch.

Another reviewer pointed out the similarity of one of the scenes to a scene in "Gone with the Wind." I noticed this too. In both movies, the camera pulls back to show us a huge field of wounded shoulders on stretchers, with just a few nurses moving among them trying to lessen their suffering.

It's easy to understand why Vera Brittain was changed forever by her experiences as a nurse. So, in a technical sense, this is a coming-of-age movie. However, it's much more than that. Vera's coming of age meant that she understood the basic futility of the killing and maiming. Working with the wounded and the dying at the battlefront wasn't something that she was able to forget and put behind her. The war changed her into the peace activist that she became and remained.

Alicia Vikander is a superb actor. This isn't her first film, but I was unaware of her work until I saw Testament of Youth. An earlier reviewer found her appearance too waif-like. In my opinion, she wasn't waif-like, but she had an astonishingly delicate Pre-Raphaelite beauty. My thought is that this works in the context of the movie. She may have looked delicate and incapable of any difficult, terrible work, but, when the time came, she rose to the challenge.

We saw this film at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. It will work better on the large screen, because of the gorgeous scenery we see in England. (Obviously, there wasn't much beauty left in the scenery of war-torn France or Belgium.) Still, this is a film worth seeking out. If it's no longer playing in theaters, see it on the small screen. It's an challenging, important movie. Don't miss it.

Fmovies: 23 January 2015 Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight - Testament of Youth. Based on the book by Vera Brittain which is a best selling account of her experiences during the First World War, this film follows the life of Vera herself during those harrowing times. Starting out gently, we follow Vera, her brother and his friends from their comfortable life in the country to the eve of the war in 1914 and beyond. I say gently because this film eases you into what was one of the horrors of recent history, a time which shattered people and ruined lives forever. After fighting so hard to get to Oxford, Vera then gives it all up to become a nurse, a journey which ultimately takes her to France and gives her first hand experience of the massacre that war dishes out. There is a romantic thread running through the film but her strongest bond is with her brother and her world is torn apart when he signs up to fight. Vera was played beautifully by Alicia Vikander, a Swedish actress who I am not familiar with, but she had look of Emily Blunt in her facial expressions and mannerisms, and unfortunately did not seem to age at all during the film, not even in grief. However that is my only criticism in an elegantly shot film even when covering the abomination that is war. Another cinematic experience to make you think.

Testament of Youth is considered one of the great war memoirs. The film is a true-life account of Vera Brittian's life from 1914 - 1918, and a chronicle of how World War One affected not only her, but the nation's lives.

I had heard about this book during high school when I studied 20th Century History but never actually read it. After hearing that a film was to be released, with the ever stunning and awe- inspiring Swede, Alicia Vikander, playing Vera Brittain, I knew it was something to be excited about.

Unlike the many films that have been made about both world wars, Testament of Youth explores the utter loss of not only a young woman who looses everyone she has come to love, but loss of those on both sides of the war. It focuses on the domestic view. The view of, really, an unseen or explored perspective on the despair that war can cause. I started to bawl my eyes out about halfway through the film and the tears didn't stop until well after the lights came up in the cinema.

The film progressively gets darker as war becomes more of a presence within the story, with the most heartbreaking scenes kicked off by Brittain's loss of fiancé, Roland Leighton (Kit Harrington), and her transferral to the front line in France. There is no holding back in how disturbing of an experience it was for Brittain as we a shown first had what she dealt with.

The film held together with strong direction and script along with a well performing cast of Kit Harrington, Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Emily Watson, Hayley Atwell, and newcomer Taron Egerton.

It was given a world-premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in 2014, the film was released in time for Remembrance Day in November and awards season, in which it ashamedly didn't gain the recognition it deserved. For me, the film is as good as fellow war film and Oscar nominated, The Imitation Game.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a book to read.

Testament of Youth fmovies. Considered one of the greatest war memoirs ever written, the Testament of Youth is a true-life account of Vera Brittian's life from 1914 - 1918, and a chronicle of how the First World War affected not only her, but the nation's lives.

One of the things that determines Testament of Youth different to other bloody, explosive and bullet-ridden war tales is that it is focused on the domestic view of the ones who not only joined the war on the front-line, but also those at home and the consequent effects on loved ones, offering an unseen perspective, and solid-account of the despair that war causes.

Beginning in pre-war 1914, we are introduced to Vera Brittain, a determined and wilful individual with aspirations of not becoming just a traditional young-married women, but one who attends Oxford University and chooses her own life-choices.

Along with her brother Edward (Taron Egerton) and his two friends Victor (Colin Morgan) and Geoffrey (Jonathan Bailey), they all enjoy their youth in the rural village with their parents (Dominic West and Emily Fox). On-the-road to Oxford, she is introduced to her brothers close friend Roland (Kit Harington), and a relationship soon breaks out - but untimely, as does the war.

Quite proud to do so out of loyalty to Queen and country, her brother Edward, and friends Victor and Geoffrey with Roland all sign up to the forces to assist. (Against parental wishes to do so). Now at Oxford, yet unable to focus as this devastation is happening all around her, she joins the forces too, as a nurse - and the film develops from there.

Given a world-premiere at the 58th BFI London Film Festival, the film is squeezed out in time for the Remembrance holidays and by-all accounts award season. Based on our criticism alone, it is going to be praised and remembered at both.

Crafted by former TV-movie director, James Kent, along with the (brilliant) cast, Testament of Youth is a thoroughly engaging history drama in Downton Abbey-esqe war times and a unique approach to the war like never before.

'Testament Of Youth' is a BBC film.

The film opens with a maffick, but with one young woman being rather subdued, even dazed. Then in a clever scene, there is a Col. Blimp- style swimming scene.

We are introduced to Vera Brittain, living in provincial comfort in Buxton Derbyshire, and struggling against social convention. She and her young male friends, all on the threshold of adulthood, are looking to the future. It is the summer of 1914 and the era is caught well and authentically.

Love is in the air and as our story develops we get some nice Michael Corleone-style 'Sicilian' courting. In a small part, Joanne Scanlan plays the chaperon Aunt Belle. She delivers to the part the same depth that she did when playing Mrs Catherine Dickens in last year's 'The Invisible Woman'. Played initially for laughs, the chaperon takes a much deeper and more human role as Summer moves into Autumn. There is a station scene, much more dramatic than that in the recent 'The Imitation Game', because the trains are going in a different direction.

Vera Brittain herself wrote of critics who doubted the authenticity of her account. Who are we, to measure the authenticity and depth of feeling of young lovers? This was their love, not ours! The reality of WWI, of course, can be easily measured and recounted.

The film gets progressively darker as the war intrudes into the story. The darkest scenes of all are set in France. These scenes are grim and gritty, muddy and bloody. There are many poignant scenes of love and war. Vera Brittain's male companions are played well by a strong cast. The central character of Roland Leighton is well played by Kit Harington, Here however, his romantic side is much more subdued, than that in his role in last year's 'Pompeii', where he featured in what was arguably the most romantic kiss scene of all time. Appropriately, Colin Morgan who has previously played the role of Merlin, here adds some magic, in what is perhaps the most poignant scene in this film. Perhaps the most sinister-looking figure in the film, is the innocent-faced-looking telegram-boy, played by Xavier Atkins. A small but scary part.

Pre-war Imperial Britain changed to the post-war era of Vera Brittain. The pre-war campaign for votes for women failed. The war forced women to do jobs previously done by men, to take up new roles and new responsibilities. Thus the post-war clamour for women's equality could no longer be ignored, and instead change started. The life and literature of Vera Brittain was an inspiration for the next generation, not the least being her daughter, the politician Shirley Williams. Vera Brittain's 'Testament' is now a recognized part of British culture and history. It is a long time since I read her book, but it seems to me that this film authentically captures the story in the book.

WWI was a seminal event. It changed the lives of a generation. it was a dominant theme in thinking in the inter-war period. To understand positions taken before and during WWII, we need to understand the context in which these positions were adopted.

In four short years British history was changed forever. So too for the world. This true story authentically captures the period and the resultant changes. 9/10.

Having read some of the negative remarks regarding the film makers' decision to not show extensive scenes from the mucky trenches, I must respectfully disagree. From War Horse to the Wipers Times, there have been quite a few films over the last few years that covered the horrifying reality of life in the trenches of Europe.

I found this to be a well-acted and balanced presentation. It has left me with a lingering sadness and I feel that it has accomplished the purpose of showing the viewers the aching emptiness and futility of war. No one in this story escaped the impact of the World War I years. Although most of the focus is on Vera, we do see the anguish of the others who surround her throughout those years.

Previously unfamiliar with the back-story of this writer, I was very satisfied with the film portrayal of her life.