This lovely costume was first seen on Claire Foy as Helen Bentwich in the 2014 mini-series, The Great War: The People’s Story. The costume was recycled the same year when Daisy Waterstone wore it as Clare Leighton in the film Testament of Youth. In 2022 it was spotted again on Emma Corrin as Connie Reid in Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
My World War I movie recommendations for Remembrance Day
1. Testament of Youth
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Taron Egerton, Colin Morgan
Don't be fooled by the cover - this is less of a romance film and more of a powerful treatise on the mental and emotional consequences of war. Heartbreaking, haunting, and beautiful, this film is based on the true life experiences of Vera Brittain, a university student who postponed her studies to volunteer as a nurse during WWI. She later became a renowned pacifist and feminist writer.
2. Goodbye Christopher Robin
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, Kelly Macdonald
A sad and sweet story based on the life of A.A. Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh. Alan struggles with PTSD upon returning home from serving in the Great War, but eventually finds joy and happiness inventing stories with his imaginative young son. This film sticks out to me in the way it highlights the intergenerational pain of the two World Wars, fathers who fought in one having to watch their sons go fight another. It also sheds light on how the beloved character of Winnie the Pooh came to be.
3. Tolkien
Starring: Nicolas Hoult, Lily Collins, Patrick Gibson
Based on the life of (you guessed it) J.R.R. Tolkien, this film showcases the beauty of a writer's imagination and the dearness of close male friendship (hooray!). When Tolkien and his group of fellow creatives go off to war, they are affected by their experiences in ways they did not expect, and sadly not all of them make it back. This is not a war movie per se, but the war is certainly a pivotal part of the story and you can see how Tolkien's war experiences found their way into his writing.
4. War Horse
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis
This is a story of a boy, Albert, and his horse, Joey, separated during events of the war. We follow Joey as he is used by the British Army and eventually reunites with Albert (yay!), though both Albert and Joey encounter many dangers and tragedies along the way. A poignant look at war, and a sentimental tale of a boy and his horse.
During WWI, Arthur reunites with Merlin but their fate remains unchanged as they are not meant to be together.
In 2020, Merlin awakens to a world where Arthur is no longer present. Struggling with memories of their past, Merlin wanders the streets of London in search of Arthur, only to discover he is nowhere to be found...
Blame it on my dentist and a not very amusing tooth extraction yesterday, followed by a sleepless night.
January 1st... Colin Morgan’s birthday first and New Years Day second
Colin Morgan is a gift to the human race. He’s a wonderful human being and an amazing actor. He deserves all the recognition in the world for his talent and kindness