Glorious 39:

Romola's adopted role

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Renowned for his BBC dramas, Stephen Poliakoff returns to the wide screen after a 10 year absence with the British period film and conspiracy thriller Glorious 39. The story unfolds during pre-war Britain in 1939, a rarely examined period in the country's history. That itself is a refreshing change in Glorious 39.

Romola Garai plays Anne Keyes, the protagonist who finds out that members of her family are behind a murderous conspiracy to appease Adolf Hitler and to stop the war. Though the powerful Keyes family watches the gathering clouds of war with wary eyes, little do the audience guess that they have a hand in matters.

Though war is brewing around them the male members of the household request the female members to get on with their regular activities. It is in this setting that Anne, the eldest daughter of the house, stumbles upon a discovery that changes the course of her life. While hunting for her pet cat, she comes across evidence of a plot involving spies and the aristocracy.

The chilling discovery that they will stop at nothing throws Anne into a panic. Some blackmailing and assassinations prove that her worst fears are about to become a reality. As the plot thickens Anne discovers that she is in fact adopted, a matter that her family begins to emphasise increasingly towards the climax of the story.

Garai manages to project the mounting tension of Anne's character brilliantly. Facial expressions mirror her horror and uncertainties so well that the audience feel for her when she begins to question how far she can trust even those closest to her.

The central theme of the story revolves around the privileged class' movement against justice to maintain their way of life. The film does well in keeping the suspense going till the last episodes. However at times it is confusing because the focus is more on the traumatized state of the protagonist. We are pulled in two directions on whether to grade the film as a psychological drama or a film based on the political corruption of ancient Britain. There are a few instances when history seems to merge with the modern, this mainly concerns the lifestyle of the characters. The melodramatic aspect of the tale spoils the political atmosphere. For instance the murder of Anne's suitor overshadows the woe of having family pets systematically put down as war approaches.

Featuring a star-studded cast including David Tennant, Bill Nighy, Christopher Lee and Julie Christie the success of the film lies heavily on the performance, costumes and lavish countryside. Though it is not in league with some top war movies like Pearl Harbor and Stalingrad, Glorious 39 has more than mere entertainment to offer its viewers. It is a film worth watching.