i'm not sure i would normally have bothered with this love/war film
but having experienced apocalypse ww1 recently interest is piqued
those 2 films getting me as close to the 'great' war as i needed to be
so let's see a drama based on that war and even better - a true story
vera brittain wrote the book of the same name after her experiences
pre-screening i have a slight trepidation it could be just so - english
but that aside - i settle in for this two-plus hour wartime adventure
the film opens on armistice day - joviality abounds - but not vera
seen glumly pushing her way through the large exultant crowds
takes refuge in a cathedral and is drawn to a large oil painting
some biblical scene set in cascading water - i sense a flashback
sure enough 'four years earlier' announced and 3 friends at play
vera, her brother edward and his friend victor in a small lake
very picture-skewy, very english and it seems so upper-class
this confirmed with the return to their parents country manor
vera throws a wobbly with the secret arrival of a grand piano
her father buying that instead of 'a whole year of oxford fees'
he wants her married off - not wasting money on education
another of edward's friends - roland - arrives mid-tantrum
just as she announces - i will never marry - he disappointed
as expected the friendship grows and the romance kicks in
poetry is swapped and chaperoned theatre outings take place
music used to enhance the emotions - harps, strings, orchestra
with edward's help vera convinces daddy to let her try for oxford
some great scenes there as she gets accepted but roland enlists
ww1 is underway and the lads want to be part of the adventure
scenes of troop trains heading off as seen in apocalypse ww1
with her closest male companions all at war vera is anxious
she joins the nurses at home tending to returning injured
it's all done very well though i'm not totally engaged yet
some watch-checking (not a good sign) - a long way to go
roland comes home on leave a changed man - very distant
an attempt no doubt to portray the effects of an unseen war
not totally convincing and pretty quickly he's back to normal
he proposes and promises her they will marry on his next visit
christmas time - wedding day - all gathered - and a phonecall
roland has been killed which of course devastates our vera
but back to work and soon after victor shows up injured
blind - she proposes to him - he refuses and dies soon after
vera then decides to head to france to look out for edward
no war scenes as such but plenty of blokes seen on stretchers
she is assigned to look after injured germans - seems unlikely
but - as i keep reminding myself - this is a true story so ok
one memorable scene sees her comforting a dying german
and then edward shows up badly injured but vera sorts him
then sees him off to italy - and clearly we won't see him again
sure enough on her next home visit word comes via telegram
so that's the 3 men in her life gone - and the war is finished
explaining a sombre vera caught up in the happy crowds
and pushing on further - she returns to the country lake
oxford also calls so then a return to her studies there
a final scene sees her heading into a rowdy meeting
discussions of war reparations - the crowd is angry
but vera shouts them down with her german story
and a plea to forgive and move on - no more war
very impressive oratory - and the start of her work
she then becoming a successful author and pacifist
phew - over 2 hours - and dragging badly at times
it is mostly really good - sometimes overly earnest
a stunning performance from star alicia vikander
she from sweden but sounding so very english
the target audience should be well pleased...
