Although little seems to happen on the surface, "A Month in the Country" has an emotional depth that keeps this film lingering in the memory.
Set a few years after WW1, Tom Birkin (Colin Firth), a returned soldier, takes a job to restore a Medieval mural in a country church. He has a bad stammer, the result of traumatic wartime experiences, which we see briefly at the beginning. The vicar of the church, the Reverend Keach (Patrick Malahide) is only allowing him to restore the artwork under sufferance, but an attraction develops between Tom and the vicar's wife, Alice (Natasha Richardson). He also becomes friends with another returned soldier, James Moon (Kenneth Branagh), who is working on an archaeological dig, and also dealing with issues related to the war.
This is a restrained film, which against the background of life in rural Yorkshire in the early 1920's, depicts a couple of returned soldiers dealing with their disrupted lives and shattered nerves as best they can - shell shock was the broad term used back then.
To show how tough life was for many returned soldiers from WW1, there is a sobering statistic that seems to suggest that within 10 years of the end of hostilities, the same number of veterans had died that were actually killed during the war, especially from armies that had been exposed to gas such as those on the Western Front. In its quiet way, "A Month in the Country", although made 70 years after the war, gives pause for a little reflection.
However, the film has an uplifting tone. Although the locals at first seem uncaring about Tom, their later kindness and attempts at inclusion overwhelm him. Even the minister is seen to be a troubled man. The restoration of the mural is a painstaking job, but eventually the painting is revealed showing God in heaven while below him sinners suffer the torments of hell. With that hanging over their heads, it is little wonder that Tom and Alice do not give way to their mutual attraction even when she visits him in the belfry where he sleeps.
By the time Tom has finished restoring the mural, the month in the country, and the new friends he has made have also restored his health and his spirits - he no longer stammers.
It is fascinating to see actors like Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh fairly early in their careers. "A Month in the Country" rewards anyone who takes the time to let the story unfold at its measured pace - there are no fireworks here, and that in a way makes it a refreshing experience.
Set a few years after WW1, Tom Birkin (Colin Firth), a returned soldier, takes a job to restore a Medieval mural in a country church. He has a bad stammer, the result of traumatic wartime experiences, which we see briefly at the beginning. The vicar of the church, the Reverend Keach (Patrick Malahide) is only allowing him to restore the artwork under sufferance, but an attraction develops between Tom and the vicar's wife, Alice (Natasha Richardson). He also becomes friends with another returned soldier, James Moon (Kenneth Branagh), who is working on an archaeological dig, and also dealing with issues related to the war.
This is a restrained film, which against the background of life in rural Yorkshire in the early 1920's, depicts a couple of returned soldiers dealing with their disrupted lives and shattered nerves as best they can - shell shock was the broad term used back then.
To show how tough life was for many returned soldiers from WW1, there is a sobering statistic that seems to suggest that within 10 years of the end of hostilities, the same number of veterans had died that were actually killed during the war, especially from armies that had been exposed to gas such as those on the Western Front. In its quiet way, "A Month in the Country", although made 70 years after the war, gives pause for a little reflection.
However, the film has an uplifting tone. Although the locals at first seem uncaring about Tom, their later kindness and attempts at inclusion overwhelm him. Even the minister is seen to be a troubled man. The restoration of the mural is a painstaking job, but eventually the painting is revealed showing God in heaven while below him sinners suffer the torments of hell. With that hanging over their heads, it is little wonder that Tom and Alice do not give way to their mutual attraction even when she visits him in the belfry where he sleeps.
By the time Tom has finished restoring the mural, the month in the country, and the new friends he has made have also restored his health and his spirits - he no longer stammers.
It is fascinating to see actors like Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh fairly early in their careers. "A Month in the Country" rewards anyone who takes the time to let the story unfold at its measured pace - there are no fireworks here, and that in a way makes it a refreshing experience.