The best kinds of films are the ones you have an emotional connection with and that’s just what we have here with Testament of Youth.
Adapted from Vera Brittain’s memoir of the same name, Testament of Youth is a deeply emotional and impactful biopic about one of Britain’s (and the worlds) darkest periods. Powerful, thought-provoking and a gentle reminder of how well we have it living in what is a relatively peaceful age compared to the bygone times of the early 1900s.
Set between 1914 – 1918, Testament of Youth stars Alicia Vikander as Brittain, a highly ambitious and strong-minded (on the rebellious side) eighteen year old who has her sights set on going to Oxford to fulfill her dreams of being a writer. She’s extremely close with her brother, Edward (Taron Egerton) and his close friend Victor (Colin Morgan) who has a silent crush on Vera, but it’s the arrival of Roland Leighton (Kit Harrinton) which catches the eye of Vera. As the two begin to get closer their love is halted by the start of the First World War, as all three of the closest people in Vera’s life sign up to fight for Britain against the Germans. Vera, unable to take her mind off the prospect of war and feeling useless as her brother, her friend and her lover fight overseas, decides to put her studying on hold and sign up as a war nurse to make a difference, and to keep her mind distracted from the fear that one of her loved ones might pay the ultimate price of war.
Testament of Youth is a gut-wrenching film about love, friendship and a generation torn apart by the horrors of war. While all eyes might have been on the star name of Kit Harrington – who to his credit is strong in his role – we’re drawn instead to Alicia Vikander, who portrays Vera Brittain with the poise, grace and maturity you would expect and which she deserves. Taron Egerton also shines in a well-rounded performance and you get the feeling that these two young actors have a very bright future ahead of them.
While the film at times can be a touch on the lighter side than what you would expect for a film about one of our darkest points in history, it doesn’t take too much away from the impact that the story has. The stark reminder that too many young lives were lost on both sides and the landscape of Europe changed forever.
Its feels strange to call Testament of Youth ‘enjoyable’, because the word enjoyable gives off the wrong emotion when watching this sombre tale. Perhaps then it’s best to go with fascinating, insightful and heartbreakingly beautiful. The film, as taken directly from the WWI memoir, asks the question about war and if there’s truly a need for it. Brittain, due to her experiences and loss became a pacifist – as many did following the war and sought to find a new path away from the grief and heartache. It’s a question as much for now as it was in Brittain’s era due to our involvement in the Middle East and the growing fears from Russia. Is all the loss and the pain and the destruction war inevitably causes all worth it, or is there a better way? Are we able to let go of violence, vengeance and anger. It’s a powerful question to ask and one much harder to answer, maybe impossible.
What isn’t in question though is Brittain’s importance not only as a role model but what Testament of Youth means now more than ever and how it will stand throughout history.
It’s a crying shame Vera Brittain never lived to see the resurgence of her work, or to see the impact it still has today on modern audiences. At the time of her death in the ’70s she believed Testament of Youth had run its course, which is far from the truth. Not only is she a great role model to women, but in the words of her daughter, “Vera Brittain now belongs to the writing world of immortality”. And it’s a fitting tribute to her great efforts that now her work has too been immortalised onto the big screen.
Testament of Youth is available on Blu-ray and DVD on May 25th.
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