Testament of Youth(2015) ***

Based on the memoirs of writer and feminist Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth was a highly acclaimed, important and tragic account of the impact of The First World War. While much of the war literature at the time was dominated by male voices – such as war poets; Sassoon, Graves, Kipling and Edward Thomas – Vera Brittian’s powerful memoirs, published in 1933, provided a revolutionary female perspective that would become the most essential and radical piece of feminist war literature for years to come.

In James Kent’s film, Alicia Vikander plays Vera Brittain, a young woman determined to pursue education and overcome the social limitations of being female at the time. Studying for her entrance exam, she plans to read English at Somerville College at Oxford – to the reluctance of her father who is troubled by the expense, but ironically, and frivolously, buys her a piano with the intent that she simply stays at home and plays it. Vera has other plans, and her parents perhaps underestimate her drive, intelligence and ability to succeed. 

The drama centres around Brittain, her brother Edward(Taron Egerton), Roland Leighton(Kit Harrington) and Victor, played by Colin Morgan – all giving engrossing and sensitive performances. Vikander in particular is excellent; playing Brittain with fragility but also understated strength and self-belief – it’s a performance that truly draws you in. 

However, her time at Oxford does not go smoothly; after a complicated relationship develops between Vera and Roland, war breaks out and all three men are called up to serve on the front lines in France. Vera subsequently becomes more and more exposed to the horrors of war and subsequently abandons her education to volunteer as a nurse.

James Kent’s film is emotionally charged, but the most nuanced moments are the most affecting. There’s a scene in which Vera’s father, played well if used only peripherally within in the drama by Dominic West, sees his son Edward off on the train as he leaves for the western front. Vera thinks she sees her father looking at a train timetable, but realises that he’s trying to mask the fact that he is overwhelmed with emotion – it’s an incidental scene that illustrates more about the tragedy, torment and loss in war than many of the more obviously overwrought sections of the film try to accomplish.

In many ways it’s hard to fault Testament of Youth because it is so clearly made with good intentions – it’s directed with consideration and precision, detail and care – but it’s all too well-mannered; a little too respectful, a little too polite and safe. Kent knows how to compose a striking image on-screen and gets strong performances from his actors, but it’s all too polished, too refined and occasionally, too sanitised.