Testament of Youth directed by James Kent (2014), is a film based on the book of the same name by Vera Brittain about her life during WW1, her pause on her university education to become a nurse, and the loss of her fiancé, friends, and brother in the war. It sh0ws how war can take young people and crush them down into nothing in some ways or entirely and that some times it can make you stronger in other ways. She survived in trying to care for others and do her best to care for the people that she cared about the most. However, she was left mostly alone in the end. All a sacrifice to war. Her fiancé lost who he was completely before he died on the field. He stopped doing the things that made him who he was. He was poet who didn’t write as he used to. He lost his vision for his future with his fiancée. War is horrible and has long been romanced for those who don’t fight in them. In this film, you can see the brightness of the young people and when you see them again there is a loss of innocence and malcontent with all of humanity involved in the war. The acting seems a bit over done in places but young people tend to overreact when it involves their emotions which may make it more believable to some. The film was well shot and immersive. All in all, if you like war movies, this is evenly paced and not full of action but is full of heart and more human connection heavy. It’s worth a watch and I will probably watch it again in the future.
Watched on Starz.
Grizzly Era Studios 