Though based on the English writer Vera Brittain's World War I memoirs, Testament of Youth is not a film about war. Love and aspiration are what drive the people in this emotionally strong film; war is simply something through which the characters navigate. Adapted for the screen by Julliete Towhidi and directed by James Kent, Testament of Youth is a coming-of-age story from the perspective of a proud, determined and forward-thinking young woman whose dream of becoming an Oxford-educated writer is put on hold at the outbreak of the war as her brother, best friend and the man she loves are called upon to fight for their country.
Alicia Vikander plays the emotionally demanding and complex role of Vera Brittain with flawless precision. With so many tragic events befalling Vera we are undoubtedly meant to empathize, or at the very least sympathize, with Vera at every single turn; Vikander brings Vera right beside us as her story unfolds.
The film is made up of two very distinct halves, which the director, James Kent, highlights with excellent craftsmanship. The first half is full of hope and love, with open and breathtaking shots of the Yorkshire countryside accompanied by dazzling interior shots. The second half is dreary, with sullen lighting and bleak visuals. The best of these is a wide shot looking out into the sea on a stone covered beach; the fog is so dense you can barely see the waves approaching. It is an image we see right before Vera hears the news that changes her life drastically, and one which represents how Vera’s future and aspirations are unknown even to her.
Kent also manages to bring both an early 20th-century feeling and a modern day atmosphere to the audience. The middle-class, boyish back and forth between Vera's brother, Edward (Taron Egerton), and his friends Roland (Kit Harrington) and Victor (Colin Morgan) is so typical of the era and yet the direction, especially fast cut-aways, gives the First World War epic a 21st-century feel. The audience can be in the era without distancing themselves from the world around them, allowing for a better immersion into the story.
The story of Testament of Youth is much deeper than a young couple being pulled apart. It is about the very dreams we have, how fragile and fleeting they can be. Most importantly, though, is how we can carry on moving forward.
