A haunting, lyrical meditation on the futility of war, this World War II drama from Brit director Stuart Cooper recreates the build-up to the Allies’ Normandy landing through the eyes of young English soldier Thomas Beddows (Brian Stirner). Sensitive and fatalistic, he regards army life cynically and is convinced he won’t make it back to the girl he falls for while on leave. Shot in faded black and white, it’s seamlessly spliced with archive footage of training missions and the D-Day invasion (courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, which co-funded the production). Starkly realist on one level, this is darkly poetic on another: take the desolate aerial shots of bombed ruins, or the surreal fantasy sequence where Beddows tries to take his mind off the horrifying beach charge by picturing his sweetheart undressing him.
DVD Extras:
Unavailable at press time, extras include a director commentary, interviews and a tour of the Museum’s archives.
