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Testament of Youth

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Testament of Youth (2015)

June. 04,2015
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7.2
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PG-13
| Drama History War
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Testament of Youth is a powerful story of love, war and remembrance, based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, which has become the classic testimony of that war from a woman’s point of view. A searing journey from youthful hopes and dreams to the edge of despair and back again, it’s a film about young love, the futility of war and how to make sense of the darkest times.

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Tedfoldol
2015/06/04

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

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Contentar
2015/06/05

Best movie of this year hands down!

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Robert Joyner
2015/06/06

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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Nayan Gough
2015/06/07

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

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wilsonstuart-32346
2015/06/08

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.

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Prismark10
2015/06/09

Author Vera Brittain's daughter was Education Secretary for the the Labour government of the late 1970s. I was actually at school during that time and I guess some of her mother's radicalism had passed off to Shirley Williams. It is probably important to mention this, because these days when you portray a petulant female standing up for equality in the early part of the twentieth century there are always accusations of political correctness gone mad. Vera Brittain's legacy is more than just her autobiographical novel which this film is based on.We see Vera Brittain (Alicia Vikander) fighting with her father to apply for a place at Oxford University, he tells her that he cannot afford it. She is surprised that she is offered a place but her female tutor makes it clear that women are expected to be a lot better than the men to get on at Oxford.As soon as Vera enters university, Britain enter the Great War and there is initial excitement between Vera, her brother Edward, her boyfriend, Roland Leighton and other mutual friends. Many of them want to their bit for the country and enlist, Vera again pesters her parents to allow Edward to join the army and she also takes a break from her studies to become a nurse.These young men mainly around 20 years old perished or got injured in the war. Her fiancé Roland she finds out did not die quickly and painlessly as the note from the army said but struggled with his wounds for hours and without morphine.After the war is over Vera returns to her studies but is despondent to the misery and deaths caused by the war. The real life Vera Brittain became a pacifist.Although the book written in 1933 recounts the horrors of the Great War, the problem with the film is the death of thousands of young men is nothing new as it has been done many times now on film and television. It is an admirable period adaptation of the book but also rather safe and anaemic.

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krocheav
2015/06/10

Have noticed others have said they were a little upset with a couple of added sequences that were not from the book. Having not read the book this offered no distraction. While it maybe agreeable when a movie adaption follows a book - they remain distinctly different mediums - two different styles of writing, so it's not always fair to compere them. The book in this case is Vera Brittain's autobiography. This strong story has remained in print since it's first publishing in the early 1930's - quite something for a female writer of this era.Since the release of that fine Turkish film "Gallipoli" in 2005, 'Testament Of Youth' has to be one of the best examinations of the unforgivably tragic wastage of WWI - This was war created at the whims of those who regarded themselves as the upper echelons - so called leaders who did not deserve the very breath in their bodies. This BBC Films 2014/15 production is stunning to look at and listen too, from Jon Henson's detailed production design to just about every last cast member it's a powerful thought provoker. Swedish born Alicia Vikander may not always seem the right choice for the lead but works very hard in a demanding role, Kit Harington convinces as Roland, Alexandra Roach as Winifred, Dominic West as Dad and Emily Watson as Mum, fine performances all.... It's a strong feature directorial debut for James Kent - embellished with mostly lavish visual support provided by D.O.P. Rob Hardy (and thank heavens hand held camera-work is kept to a minimum). The screenplay by Juliette Towhidi is kept in check by the real life daughter of Vera Brittain, Shirley Williams. It's possibly because of this careful control the whole production maintains a high level of integrity that's rarely seen in modern movies. Lavish scenes involving steam trains are lovingly set up using trains from the Keighley and Worth / North Yorkshire Moors Railways. The music score by Max Richter (The Lunchbox '13 & Re-composing Vivaldi '14) adds handsomely and has been blessed with full-scale orchestrations by Dave Foster. What's unique about this film's treatment is its solid focus on being told from a female perspective. A young woman who experienced first hand the loss of family, lover, and friends - who then went on to write and speak out about the dehumanizing impact on all those who served and died or were left to suffer throughout their lives. And for what 'essential' purpose?. This film brings home the horror - not with endless shots of hideous trench warfare but by taking us into the inadequate treatment 'hospitals', where so many young lives agonizingly wasted away. All very tragic, but needs to be told and re-told...

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grrwuff
2015/06/11

...meaning that, in my opinion, this adaptation of "Testament of Youth" has potential on several levels: Leading characters doing a good job of portraying young men and womens lives, dealing with both love and death at a young age, at the same time. Both Vikander and Haringtons performances, being somewhat rough in their dramatization, which curiously enough adds credence to the portrayal of teens/young adults. Not the hefty realization of drama as Knightly and McAvoy in "Atonement" of 2007, an all time favorite of mine, but certainly a wonderful interpretation of uncut human feelings under complex terms of existence.In fact I think, that ToY has enough dramatical potential to make it in to a series; a new "Brideshead Revisited"(1981), with another narrative outset- a youth's perspective.Such promises from a flock of young British actors in this movie, which gives me yet a reason to face the future of European cinematography with a smile!

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