'Testament of Youth' traffics in tragedy

In "Ex Machina," Alicia Vikander displayed a combination of flintiness and femininity as the cyborg Ava, a humanlike form of artificial intelligence that was learning about the way the world works for the first time. As the almost equally inexperienced protagonist of "Testament of Youth," Vera Brittain's memoir about coming of age during World War I, the Swedish actress taps even greater reservoirs of resolve and vulnerability.

She positively smolders in the role - in an intense but nonsexual way - capturing both Vera's innocence and her headstrong will. The performance is a subtle tour de force of feeling and restraint, made all the more remarkable by the whiplash highs and lows of this true but melodramatic tale.

"Testament of Youth" centers on the twenty-something Vera, who puts aside her college studies at Oxford after one year when war breaks out. Working as a field nurse, she becomes the heart and soul of a tightknit group of soldiers that includes her younger brother Edward (Taron Egerton); her fiance Roland (Kit Harington); her not-so-secret admirer Victor (Colin Morgan); and, less prominently, Edward's friend - and, as some have speculated, possible lover - Geoffrey (Jonathan Bailey).

What this aspiring writer, who went on to become a notable pacifist, learns about love, sacrifice, heartbreak and the ravages of war could - and did - fill a book. Published in 1933, "Testament of Youth" became an instant hit. It was followed by two other memoirs: "Testament of Friendship" (1940) and "Testament of Experience" (1957).

The circumstances of Vera's education in the school of hard knocks are, on occasion, almost implausibly well - which is to say badly - timed. If this tale were entirely fictional, it would be tough to swallow some of the tragedies that Vera endures, one of which she learns of on her wedding day.

Vikander never goes for the easy emotion, though, choosing instead to play against what conventional melodrama would dictate her reaction should be. This understatedness is always the right choice, and it makes for a far more effective - and affecting - film.

Upon Vera's arrival at Oxford's Somerville College, she's told by one of her teachers (Miranda Richardson): "I think you're keen to stand out." That statement is equally true of Vikander, who outshines her male co-stars, all of whom are a bit bland when compared with their leading lady. Adapted by screenwriter Juliette Towhidi ("Calendar Girls") and directed by TV veteran James Kent, "Testament of Youth" is a celebration of female strength.

The two-hour-plus film, which is essentially one long flashback, ends where it began, on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1918. It concludes with the words: "All of us are surrounded by ghosts. Now we must learn how to live with them."

"Testament of Youth" memorably charts that lesson, earning its cumulative power with a combination of grace and grit that is, in no small measure, thanks to its bright, burning star.