I watched the TV adaptation of Testament of Youth many, many years ago. As we were studying World War One at school, the destruction and carnage left me horrified; therefore I was deeply moved by Vera Brittan's account of fledging love and war time losses. I picked up this version of Netflix last night with great interest; could it, I wondereed, top the series that left me spellbound nearly three decades ago?
The answer is not quite, the BBC TV series just shades it. I think the series alllows the characters a little more development time than the film allows. Nevertheless, there are a great many merits to this film. Although some of criticism of Alicia Vikander's Vera were a little harsh - she was growing up in a restrictive Edwardian, where 'young ladies' where expected to behave in a certain way - the cast and direction are uniformly first rate. I got a vivid impression of Rupert Brooke's England - lush, pastoral, with carefree youths at one with nature; a long vanished tranquility, that perhaps never really existed, except innoir imagination.
The scene at the railway station was nothing short of heartbreaking - it is here, with Roland's departure, that enormity of what might happen actually sinks in.
As the war drags on Vera volunteers as a nurse, anything to be closer to her loved ones at The Front - a fiancee, a brother, two close friends. She copes amidst the horrific carnage, the grim aftermath that's far from the honour and glory. Like the women left behind in all wars since the dawn of time, through a series of hard lesson she learns to gradually cope with the responsibilities thrust upon her - whilst living in a state of near constant trepidation; anything to avoid the dreaded telegram.
I remember her compassion towards the dying German soldier - the enemy who bleeds the same blood, has the same flesh as we do.
Her world is shattered many time over; War, grief and illness bleed her. It is staggering to think how many families must have went through same ordeal - only to emerge with wrecked lives into a confused and dangerous new world with no clear answers.
Vera Brittan's work is for the survivors and their ghosts, for anyone who survived a war and asks 'why?' on their lips. It is a superb film and a worthy adaption. Watch it or the TV series.
The answer is not quite, the BBC TV series just shades it. I think the series alllows the characters a little more development time than the film allows. Nevertheless, there are a great many merits to this film. Although some of criticism of Alicia Vikander's Vera were a little harsh - she was growing up in a restrictive Edwardian, where 'young ladies' where expected to behave in a certain way - the cast and direction are uniformly first rate. I got a vivid impression of Rupert Brooke's England - lush, pastoral, with carefree youths at one with nature; a long vanished tranquility, that perhaps never really existed, except innoir imagination.
The scene at the railway station was nothing short of heartbreaking - it is here, with Roland's departure, that enormity of what might happen actually sinks in.
As the war drags on Vera volunteers as a nurse, anything to be closer to her loved ones at The Front - a fiancee, a brother, two close friends. She copes amidst the horrific carnage, the grim aftermath that's far from the honour and glory. Like the women left behind in all wars since the dawn of time, through a series of hard lesson she learns to gradually cope with the responsibilities thrust upon her - whilst living in a state of near constant trepidation; anything to avoid the dreaded telegram.
I remember her compassion towards the dying German soldier - the enemy who bleeds the same blood, has the same flesh as we do.
Her world is shattered many time over; War, grief and illness bleed her. It is staggering to think how many families must have went through same ordeal - only to emerge with wrecked lives into a confused and dangerous new world with no clear answers.
Vera Brittan's work is for the survivors and their ghosts, for anyone who survived a war and asks 'why?' on their lips. It is a superb film and a worthy adaption. Watch it or the TV series.