Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: James Kent, Fox Searchlight Pictures, MA 108 Minutes.
Subsequent to his direction of the WW1 drama ‘Testament of Youth’ in 2014 James Kent’s latest release is a drama-filled post WW2 romantic story set in Germany in 1946.
It is within the ruins of a snow-covered Hamburg that sees the arrival of Rachel (Keira Knightly – Colette) the grief-stricken wife of Colonel Lewis Morgan (Aussie Jason Clarke –Pet Sematary) whose son died three years earlier in a German air-raid.
As one of the commanding officers in charge of curtailing the chaos within the ruined city, Lewis is allotted a luxurious mansion requisitioned from German owner Stefan Luberet (Alexander Skarsgard –Hidden) to live in with his wife.
Despite Rachel’s resentment for Germans Lewis surprisingly permits Luberet to remain in the upper part of the house with his disturbed daughter Freda (Flora Thiemann – Nelly’s Adventure) while he awaits his clearance papers to leave the war-ravaged city.
It doesn’t take long before tensions arise between Rachel and Stefan but this rapidly fades in view of her husband’s many absences, resulting in his wife participating in an intimate love affair with Stefan.
In the meantime, Stefan’s school-aged daughter Freda has developed a personal relationship with Albert (Jannnik Schumann – Submergence), a young Nazi outcast who refuses to accept his country’s defeat, in particular the British occupation.
It is only after Albert attempts to shoot Lewis following a function at which he announces his return to London together with his wife, that Lewis learns of the illicit love affair and Rachel’s plans to leave him.
Although somewhat similar to other romantic WW2 dramas, Kent’s detailed direction makes this movie an appealing and emotional experience due to a thought-provoking storyline involving a love triangle in the aftermath of postwar Germany shot against some splendid settings.
The film further highlights the profound enmity felt by the key participants as a result of what the Germans and the British did during the war to their respective family members as they confront their individual pain.
Clarke again provides a solid performance as the staunch colonel, as does Skarsgard in the role of Stefan, while Knightly’s pitiful portrayal of Rachel leaves a lot to be desired – and certainly not as pleasing as in The Imitation Game.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 ½ Stars
