Testament Of Youth – Film Review
Director: James Kent
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Kit Harrington, Taron Egerton and Colan Morgan
Release Date: Jan 16
Testament of Youth is based on one of one of the most recognised World War One memoirs ever written. The book, written by Vera Brittain, focuses on her life of love and loss between 1914 and 1918 and was adapted into a screenplay by Juliette Towhidi. The film itself is rather moving, and still manages to incorporate the violent aspect of war while maintaining focus on the psychological and emotional impacts that it can have on a person.
The film begins in 1918.The war has ended, people are rejoicing. Yet, we focus solely on one person, Vera Brittain (Vikander). Unlike everybody else, she isn’t celebrating. You can visibly see that she is so emotionally damaged, devoid of any kind of cheer. She tries to escape the crowd to a church, a place for her to gain some solace. This is a person who has just given up life completely. Then, through the use of narration (employed beautifully throughout the film), we open in a forest, in 1914, where Vera is swimming in a lake, waiting for her brother Edward (Egerton) and Trevor (Morgan) to join her.
The majority of the first act is rather light in tone, introducing us to Vera and the many loves in her life. These include her family and soon-to-be fiancé Roland (Harrington), with only the briefest hints of a war going on. At first, it seems like a pure romance film. There is eloquent use of poem recitations, courtship the likes of which are never seen anymore, unattainable love and beautiful scenery. It’s has an enchanting quality to it, compounded with some surprisingly humourous moments, due largely to Vera’s Aunt Belle (played by Joanna Scanlan), as she joins Roland and Vera on their dates.
We’re shown (crucially, not told) how strong a woman Vera is. She is not someone who is waiting to become a wife; she wants to live, to be educated. Vera spends her time educating herself, in the hopes of one day going to college. Edward, Roland and Victor are all fully aware of how intelligent she is and appear keen to assist her in achieving her goals.
But unsurprisingly, tragedy strikes and the war begins. The men all do their duty and leave to fight for their country, abandoning Vera just as she does the improbable and is accepted into college. Despite her achievements and proficiency however, she is crippled with anxiety. Haunted by phantom visions of what Roland and Edward are experiencing, she eventually decides to enlist as a nurse for the wounded. She leaves the college, and her former aspirations, in the hopes that she can do some good in this terrible war.
There is a clear split at this point, where we leave the bright, scenic landscapes for a more troubled vision of war-torn, barren lands. The effects of war are exhibited visually as people slowly become psychologically damaged and overwhelmed with loss. After suffering through such insurmountable losses herself, it almost seems like Vera has given up as we are snapped back to the church in 1918. It is not how the story ends that is important here however, but rather, how she has dealt with the journey up to this point.
Testament of Youth is a purely emotionally driven film that succeeds in many areas. There is excellent camera work on display, a delightful score by Max Richter, and keen costume and make-up design. As the debut feature by James Kent, it is an admirably ambitious and enjoyable film.
The real star, however, is Alicia Vikander, whose portrayal as Vera Brittain is what makes the film what it is. She hooks the audience’s interest and keeps them intrigued throughout. There was also a sly reference to the Battle of Atlanta injuries scene from Gone With the Wind, which is a nice touch.* The only major downside is some rather shoddy pacing. Though interesting, it seems to go on much longer than it actually does. A little more time in the editing room would not have gone amiss here. And while Alicia shines, her male counterparts seem less convincing, almost knowingly so; it’s as if they are taking every precaution not to steal the limelight from the film’s main star.
*If you’re not familiar with the Battle of Atlanta injuries scene, it’s the one referenced in The Simpsons, during the trampoline episode…maybe they were secretly referencing that.
Score: 3.5/5
Written By Graeme Redmond
