Plot
A British woman recalls coming of age during World War I - a story of young love, the futility of war, and how to make sense of the darkest times.
Storyline
A British woman recalls coming of age during World War I - a story of young love, the futility of war, and how to make sense of the darkest times.
Writers: Vera Brittain, Juliette Towhidi
Cast: Alicia Vikander -
Vera Brittain
Taron Egerton -
Edward Brittain
Colin Morgan -
Victor Richardson
Dominic West -
Mr. Brittain
Emily Watson -
Mrs. Brittain
Kit Harington -
Roland Leighton
Joanna Scanlan -
Aunt Belle
Miranda Richardson -
Miss Lorimer
Rachel Redford -
Exam Candidate
Nicholas Farrell -
Headmaster
Daisy Waterstone -
Clare Leighton
Nicholas Le Prevost -
Mr. Leighton
Anna Chancellor -
Mrs. Leighton
Teresa Churcher -
Passenger
Xavier Atkins -
Boy on Bicycle
Taglines:
Divided by war. United by love.
Country: UK
Language: English
Release Date: 16 January 2015
Filming Locations: Merton Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The film was shot in various locations in Yorkshire, Oxford and London. The railway station scenes, the train interiors, and the scene in the railway café, were shot at Keighley Station, using trains provided by the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. The landscape shots of period trains were filmed at the heritage track of the The North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire provided several locations, including the scenes at Uppingham school, Melrose house and the Etaples field hospital. The lake scenes were filmed in Darley Dale in Derbyshire. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 8/10
Considered one of the greatest war memoirs ever written, the Testament
of Youth is a true-life account of Vera Brittian's life from 1914 -
1918, and a chronicle of how the First World War affected not only her,
but the nation's lives.
One of the things that determines Testament of Youth different to other
bloody, explosive and bullet-ridden war tales is that it is focused on
the domestic view of the ones who not only joined the war on the
front-line, but also those at home and the consequent effects on loved
ones, offering an unseen perspective, and solid-account of the despair
that war causes.
Beginning in pre-war 1914, we are introduced to Vera Brittain, a
determined and wilful individual with aspirations of not becoming just
a traditional young-married women, but one who attends Oxford
University and chooses her own life-choices.
Along with her brother Edward (Taron Egerton) and his two friends
Victor (Colin Morgan) and Geoffrey (Jonathan Bailey), they all enjoy
their youth in the rural village with their parents (Dominic West and
Emily Fox). On-the-road to Oxford, she is introduced to her brothers
close friend Roland (Kit Harington), and a relationship soon breaks out
- but untimely, as does the war.
Quite proud to do so out of loyalty to Queen and country, her brother
Edward, and friends Victor and Geoffrey with Roland all sign up to the
forces to assist. (Against parental wishes to do so). Now at Oxford,
yet unable to focus as this devastation is happening all around her,
she joins the forces too, as a nurse - and the film develops from
there.
Given a world-premiere at the 58th BFI London Film Festival, the film
is squeezed out in time for the Remembrance holidays and by-all
accounts award season. Based on our criticism alone, it is going to be
praised and remembered at both.
Crafted by former TV-movie director, James Kent, along with the
(brilliant) cast, Testament of Youth is a thoroughly engaging history
drama in Downton Abbey-esqe war times and a unique approach to the war
like never before.
0