Testament of Youth
Short description
Testament of Youth is a British historical drama based on Vera Brittain's memoir of the same name, which recounts her youth in England before and during the First World War. The story follows Vera, an intelligent and determined young woman who defies her conservative parents to win a place at Oxford, where she hopes to study literature and become a writer. There she grows close to Roland Leighton, a friend of her brother Edward, and the two fall in love. Their plans are interrupted when war breaks out and the young men in her life enlist. Unable to remain at home waiting, Vera abandons her studies to serve as a volunteer nurse, working near the front and confronting the human cost of the conflict. The film is set between the years leading up to the war and the mid-1920s, tracing how the experience reshapes her life and her writing.
James Kent directed the film, the second of his feature credits following Margaret, and it was adapted for the screen by Juliette Towhidi with Brittain credited as a writer. Alicia Vikander plays Vera, with Kit Harington as Roland, Taron Egerton as Edward, Colin Morgan as Victor Richardson, and Dominic West and Emily Watson as her parents. The cast totals twenty-six credited performers. The production was a British, Danish and American co-production overseen by producers David Heyman and Rosie Alison.
The film was released in 2015 and runs 129 minutes. It received a critics' rating of 7 out of 10 from 129 reviews, while audiences gave it the same score on IMDb from 32,000 votes and on TMDB from 811 votes. Its worldwide box office reached about 6 million dollars.
What's left behind the scenes
- A film adaptation of Vera Brittain's memoirs published in 1933.
- Filming took place in Yorkshire, Oxford, and London. Scenes at the railway station, inside the train, and in the station café were filmed at Keighley Station. Scenes at the Appingham school, the Melrose house, and the field hospital were filmed at Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire. Scenes by the lake were filmed in Darlton Dale, Derbyshire.
- In preparing for his role, Colin Morgan spoke with men and women who had served in the armed forces, and he also contacted "Blind Veterans UK", an organization that helps blind veterans, and spent a day at a charity center in Brighton.
- Saoirse Ronan was originally planned to play the role of Vera, but she left the project due to scheduling conflicts. Ultimately, the role went to Alicia Vikander.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
