Striking an elegantly sustained balance between intimacy and historical scope, director James Kent's WWI-set epic Testament of Youth encompasses nearly all of the virtues of classical British period drama and nearly none of the vices.
Testament of Youth
Divided by war. United by love.
2015 · 2h 9m · PG-13
Drama, History, War
Directed by
James Kent
Overview
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.
Director and cast
- James Kent Director
- Alicia Vikander as Vera Brittain
- Kit Harington as Roland Leighton
- Taron Egerton as Edward Brittain
- Hayley Atwell as Hope
- Colin Morgan as Victor Richardson
- Dominic West as Mr. Brittain
- Emily Watson as Mrs. Brittain
- Anna Chancellor as Mrs. Leighton
- Miranda Richardson as Miss Lorimer
- Joanna Scanlan Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Kent presents the female experience of war with crisp, tactile practicality ... Unabashedly romantic the film may be, but little about Brittain's grief-ridden personal awakening is needlessly romanticized.
A beautifully acted but disappointingly stiff period drama.
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