Parents need to know that testament of youth is a historical drama based on vera brittains sametitled memoir about being young during world war i. In 2009 it was announced that the feature film testament of youth was in development by bbc films and heyday films producer david heyman, and was to be directed by james kent. Testament of youth recalls the great war with little. Kit harington at an event for testament of youth 2014 colin morgan in testament of. Testament of youth anchored by an extraordinary performance from actress alicia vikander, james kent s testament of youth bears comparison to many other superbly mounted costume dramas backed by the bbc, but this one has a special distinction. Testament of youth is a marvellous book and very famous too, so it hardly needs boosting from me. Testament of youth captures vera brittains innocence. While all of the actors work deserves commendation, special praise must be given to alicia vikander, a swedish actress who does an amazing. Plot summary in 1933, vera brittains honest and compelling account of her young adult experiences during world war i appeared in the form of an autobiography titled testament of youth. Her or the directors interpretation of vera is like a bull in a china shop. It is the directors second english language film, and stars michael caine and harvey keitel as best friends who reflect on their lives while holidaying in the swiss alps.
The plot of the film broadly follows narrative of the book, but does deviate in two areas. However, more than eighty years after it was written, there are no doubt younger people who have never heard of it and older people who have it gathering dust on one their shelves a classic, admired, but not read. Testament of youth the british drama is based on the bestselling world war i memoir of vera brittain, who gives up her studies at oxford to enlist as a nurse in the war. The movie opens on armistice day in 1918 and then flashes back four years to 1914, a breezier time when the most dire thing on veras mind was getting her father dominic west to agree to let her take. The film tells the story of how one small suburban town near the san francisco bay area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization. Sep 18, 2017 ori pfeffer stars in writerdirector amichai greenbergs debut feature the testament, an israeliaustrian coproduction premiering in the orizzonti sidebar of the lido festival. Testament of youth is a powerful story of love, war and remembrance. Testament of youth 2015 stream and watch online moviefone. Testament of youth film wikimili, the best wikipedia. It follows the intelligent and freespirited vera who dreams of attending oxford university along with the charming and brilliant roland kit harrington, veras brother edward taron egerton and his sweet friend victor colin morgan.
During world war i, oxford university student vera brittain alicia vikander postpones her studies to serve as a nurse. Anchored by an extraordinary performance from actress alicia vikander, james kents testament of youth bears comparison to many other superbly mounted costume dramas backed by the bbc, but this one has a special distinction. Fittingly, then, testament of youth forgoes sound and fury for the soundless clamor of a bad dream, with intermittent shots of vera staring out at us in palpitating silence. A long, long time ago, back in the spring of 1914, they were so happy together. Jul 17, 2016 everything in this movie is perfect for me. It is a coproduction among belgium, france, and luxembourg. Youth is a 2015 italian comedydrama film written and directed by paolo sorrentino. It is a story of the eternal struggle between age and youth, the past and the future, life.
Testament of youth, james kents stately screen adaptation of the british author vera brittains 1933 world war i memoir, evokes the march of history with a balance and restraint. Testament of youth is based on the late british writer and pacifist vera brittains alicia vikander memoir about her experiences as an oxford studentturnedwar nurse during world war i. Testament of youth is the first instalment, covering 19001925, in the memoir of vera brittain 18931970. Testament is a 1983 drama film based on a threepage story titled, the last testament by carol amen 19341987, directed by lynne littman and written by john sacret young. However, more than eighty years after it was written, there are no doubt younger people who have never heard of it and older people who have it gathering dust on one their shelves.
A film guide that looks at testament of youth 2014, a world war one drama based on the bestselling memoirs of british writer and antiwar campaigner vera brittain. Testament of youth is a powerful story of love, war and remembrance, based on the first world war memoir by vera brittain, which. Brittains memoir continues with testament of experience, published in 1957, and encompassing the years 19251950. Its based on the beloved ww1 memoir by vera brittain, which was a bestseller on publication, heralded as the voice of a generation and has become the classic testimony of that war, from a.
Though often remembered as one of a very few world. Testament of youth is an understated war film, but its restraint both buoys and hampers the result. The film follows veras rites of passage through war, and through her wartime. Published in 1933, testament of youth by vera brittain is a memoir of the authors young life. This had the support of the vera brittain estate, brittains daughter shirley williams, and brittains biographer mark bostridge who is acting as consultant. Based on the classic first world war memoir, this is the incredible true story of one. This guide is useful for exploring topics including history, english, citizenship, and pshe education, and highlighting themes. Its based on the beloved ww1 memoir by vera brittain, which was a bestseller on publication, heralded as the voice of a generation and has become the classic testimony of that war, from a womans point of view. This important work of british literature became an immediate sensation upon publication in both england and the united states. Nonetheless, testament of youth feels like a missed opportunity to explore the social and cultural issues of the period, especially from a womans perspective. Testament of youth is a powerful comingofage story which tackles love, war, loss and remembrance. Kit harington as roland leighton 5 colin morgan as victor richardson 6 taron egerton as edward brittain 6 dominic west as mr brittain 7 emily watson as mrs brittain 7 joanna scanlan as aunt belle 7 hayley atwell as hope 7 jonathan bailey as.
Aug 01, 2014 testament of youth is a searing story of love and war. Testament of youth 2015 primary poster testament of youth plot. Testament of youth 2015 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Testament of youth is the story of the loss of an entire generations youth and innocence to the shattering tragedy of world war i 19141918. Vera brittain wrote several volumes to document her life experiences, including one about her later. I really hope this film spurs those who havent read the memoirhave never heard of vera brittain to go on and read testament of youth. The story of her life as an aspiring oxford student, bridetobe, and battlefield nurse is both heartrending and violent. Testament of youth is a searing story of love and war. Whats the story a 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 womans point of view.
Testament of youth is a necessary reminder of the impact and. It is a story of the eternal struggle between age and youth, the past and the future, life and death, commitment and betrayal. Released june 5th, 2015, testament of youth stars alicia vikander, kit harington, taron egerton, colin morgan the pg movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 9 min, and received a score of out of. The testament of youth community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Based on the classic first world war memoir, this is the incredible true story of one young womans struggle to survive the horrors of war. This important work of british literature became an immediate sensation upon publication in. It is no accident that vera brittain began writing testament of youth, her peerless memoir of a womans losses in world war i, at the very end of the 1920s. The movie unashamedly invokes two famous scenes in hollywood movies films set during wartime. There was vera brittain, an upper class girl with ideas of her own. Testament of youth is a world war i epic based on the bestselling memoirs of vera brittain alicia vikander. I first read testament of youth during university and was captivated by the emotionally moving reallife story of love and loss during war.
Jan 16, 2015 i first read testament of youth during university and was captivated by the emotionally moving reallife story of love and loss during war. Everything you need to know about testament of youth movie 2015. Testament of youth is a searing story of love, war and remembrance, based on the first world war memoir by vera brittain which became the classic testimony of that war from a womans point of. The memoir spurred me on to read more about vera brittain, particularly during the world war i period that is the setting of testament of youth.
Testament of youth is an intense movie that will leave viewers wanting to know more about vera brittain and roland leighton. Testament of youth is a powerful coming of age story which tackles love, war, loss and remembrance. The film misses out the real brittains period of nursing in malta, skipping to 1917 when she travelled to france to work in a field hospital. A 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 womans point of view.
The film stars alicia vikander as vera brittain, an independent young woman who abandoned her studies at somerville college, oxford, to become a war nurse. 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. The confidence with which the director narrates the story of the protagonist is the driving force that makes testament an interesting movie, even though its premise is. If you like testament of youth you are looking for touching, serious and captivating movies about with world war one, war, period piece, life is a bitch, wartime life, love and romance and love affair themes of biography, drama and history genre shot in uk or denmark. 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 womans point of view. Like the memoir, it provides insight into and epitomizes the experiences of the women of the lost generation the label given to. The story of vera brittain alicia vikander, who postponed her studies at oxford university during world war i to serve as a voluntary aid detachment nurse in london, malta and france, and later became a writer and a pacifist. Ori pfeffer stars in writerdirector amichai greenbergs debut feature the testament, an israeliaustrian coproduction premiering in the orizzonti sidebar of the lido festival. It is perhaps unfair to criticize the plot of a film based on a memoir, because such a story recounts the experiences of the author. And winifred holtby was just a blip in this movie compared to the very real and important influence she played in all of the testament books being written, not just the first one. Testament of youth is a 2014 british drama film based on the first world war memoir of the same name written by vera brittain. Everything you need to know about testament of youth movie. The film was screened at the directors fortnight section at the 2015 cannes film festival. The films inferno of horrors are undoubtedly visceral, but psychologically implosive rather than entrailsexploding.
Testament of youth is a searing story of love, war and remembrance, based on the first world. Le tout nouveau testament is a 2015 fantasy dark comedy film written, produced, and directed by jaco van dormael. We see so many wwii movies that are deliberately oscar bait that its a nice change of pace to watch testament of youth, a wwi movie which is deliberately oscar bait you see where im going with this. In 1933, vera brittains honest and compelling account of her young adult experiences during world war i appeared in the form of an autobiography titled testament of youth. This detailed study guide includes chapter summaries and analysis, important themes, significant quotes, and more everything you need to ace your essay or test on testament of youth. Jun 05, 2015 testament of youth, james kents stately screen adaptation of the british author vera brittains 1933 world war i memoir, evokes the march of history with a balance and restraint. Do you know what i havent seen in a while, a movie that centers around the people of wwi. It was selected as the belgian entry for the best foreign language film at the 88th academy. Never has such a pretty actress ever scowled so much. 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 womans point. Jan 15, 2015 it is perhaps unfair to criticize the plot of a film based on a memoir, because such a story recounts the experiences of the author.
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