Niemandsland - The Aftermath

Greetings again from the darkness. It's 1945 on the heels of the Allied forces victory in WWII. British officer Lewis Morgan is charged with overseeing the military's role in beginning the process of returning a sense of normalcy back to Hamburg (and assisting with hunting Nazi loyalists). He is joined there by his wife Rachel, and they are to occupy a beautiful mansion that has been "requisitioned" from a German architect and his daughter. Captain Morgan makes the unusual offer of having the man and his daughter remain in the house, rather than relocate to one of the dreadful camps, where food and privacy is scarce. Here's a tip gentlemen: never invite Alexander Skarsgard to live in the same house as your significant other.

Captain Morgan is played by Jason Clarke, and his wife Rachel by Keira Knightley. The aforementioned Skarsgard is Stephen Lubert, and Flora Thieman plays Freda, his rebellious teenage daughter. On her train ride in, Rachel hears a young girl discussing the rule of "no fraternizing" with the German people. Of course, we know (even if Rachel doesn't know yet) that it's not the little girl who is going to break this rule. An awkward reunion for Morgan and his wife indicates something is amiss. We soon learn that their young son was killed 4 years prior in a bombing - a hardship they share with Mr. Lubert, whose wife was also killed during the war. Clearly the loss of her son still impacts Rachel to the point that she rarely finds a moment of happiness.

If this was a "Seinfeld" episode, this is where 'yada, yada, yada' would be inserted, letting us know that a tryst between Lubert and Rachel occurs while husband Morgan is out on duty, and that romp brings her instantly back to life ... with smiles and piano playing. This little lovefest is contrasted with the rubble of Hamburg. The city is literally in ruins. The visuals are impressive, but we never get a feel for the challenge of rebuilding infrastructure and lives. Instead, we get more forbidden love.

Director James Kent is known mostly for his TV work, and the film is based on the novel by Rhidian Brook, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse. It would be a mistake to assume, given the outstanding three lead actors, that this is a prestigious WWII drama. An accurate description would be 'soap opera.' The set design, costumes, and cast are first rate, but the direction, script, and editing scream soap opera. I believe my final count was 12. That's 12 shots of someone gazing out of a window ... train windows, car windows, house windows, bus windows ... every window gets its shot of winsome gazing. It's best you know going in to expect a soap opera ... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Keira knows how to outshine others when it comes to delivering classic, carved out acting without a hitch and she does that with all the panache and finesse and how in this - days of yore world war time saga of romance and despair and compassion in a power packed rendition which not many can. Measured and mature, reflecting the welled up tragic circumstances and carrying the sublime hint of static grief in posture & expression, making the viewer drown slowly into her gaze and dialogue rendition as a natural propensity that emotes from all angles. It grows over you gradually and holds you to a thrall throughout the movie without your knowledge. Stupendous is a mere adjective to describe it.

The movie starts slowly from a point where the WW2 has just ended and Allied Forces have occupied Germany which is in shambles at the end of war. The story begins at a shattered and in ruins Hamburg in 1945. Keira joins her hubby Jason Clarke (of White House Down & Everest Fame) Who is a Colonel in Brit Army, in charge of rebuilding and deNazifying Germany. They move into a classic German Mansion belonging to a well-off widower Alexander Skarsgard (of Straw Dogs, Legend of Tarzan, Hold The Dark fame) and his daughter which is been selected by the Allied Forces for the Colonel. Keira has lost her son in German bombing over London and Alexander has lost his wife in Allied bombing of Germany so there is enough tragic past on both sides. The movies opens to this background slowly.

One oddity is the Mansion looks so classy and almost contemporary with British Piano, finely carved wooden work and pretty modern looking seating while nearby it is full of rubble and dust and bombed out exterior which looks little outlandish when you look at the Mansion and war-torn land outside. Well it is a minor aberration though it does register in the mind. The movie picks up pace may be from the 20th minute onwards and then it keeps you engrossed totally in it till the end of its total length of 140 plus minutes of run time. Let me go silent now since saying anything more may be a spoiler. The movie though starts slow, unfolds in a crafty step by step manner and turns its head on you with its at times predictable turns but with more finesse than you expect every time. It's a Keira Show all the way with excellent supporting roles by Clarke & Skarsgard. Clever delivery of halted dialogues are good too since you more or less get the complete line. That's kind of charming.

Pretty sublime direction by James Kent too who gave us 13th Tale, Margaret & 13th Tale kind of movies. Has managed to extract good performances by the star cast. Effectively mirrors the feelings of mistrust, tension in the air, grief, passion, sub plots within the story & hostility without much ado. The screenplay is tight and neat and well rendered with consummate ease.

To sum up, The Aftermath is a better movie without a doubt. Keira delivers the punch with more than VFM performance. One can never believe she has Dyslexia at all!!! And the aftermath is a feel good factor which it leaves you with aplenty.

Keira Knightley is simply outstanding in this drama about a woman torn between two men at the end of WW2. Very much in the vein of a Merchant Ivory production; might seem old-fashioned by modern standards, but there is definitely a place for this type of film, which is largely missing from current productions. An enjoyable, moving and beautiful film.

"The Aftermath" is based on the novel of the same name by Rhidian Brook and stars Keira Knightley, Alexander Skarsgård, and Jason Clarke in the lead roles. Set against the backdrop of a war-torn city, the film explores themes of loss, grief, love, and reconciliation in the aftermath of conflict.

One of the strengths of "The Aftermath" is its atmospheric setting. The film takes place in Hamburg, Germany, in 1946, just after the end of World War II. The devastated city, with its ruins and desolate landscapes, serves as a powerful backdrop for the characters' struggles and emotions. The production design and cinematography effectively capture the post-war era, creating a somber and melancholic atmosphere that adds depth to the story.

The performances in the film are exceptional. Keira Knightley delivers a compelling performance as Rachael Morgan, a grieving wife who arrives in Hamburg to join her husband, Lewis, played by Jason Clarke, who is a British colonel tasked with overseeing the city's reconstruction. Knightley portrays Rachael's inner turmoil with subtlety and emotional depth, capturing the complexities of her character as she grapples with her grief, guilt, and conflicting emotions.

Alexander Skarsgård is also impressive as Stefan Lubert, a German architect who lost his wife during the war and now works for Lewis. Skarsgård brings a quiet intensity to his role, displaying a range of emotions as Stefan forms a bond with Rachael, leading to a complicated romantic relationship that adds tension to the story.

The film's screenplay, adapted by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, delves into the aftermath of war and the challenges of reconciliation. It explores the complexities of human emotions, the scars left by war, and the struggle to move forward amidst grief and guilt. The film also delves into the tensions between the British and the Germans, as well as the conflicts that arise within Rachael and Lewis' marriage as they try to navigate their strained relationship in the aftermath of war.

Visually, "The Aftermath" is stunning. The film's period-accurate costumes, set designs, and cinematography effectively transport the audience to the post-war era. The contrast between the destruction of the city and the beauty of its surroundings creates a visually captivating experience that enhances the storytelling.

However, one criticism of the film is that the pacing can be slow at times, which may impact the engagement of some viewers. Additionally, some may find the romantic storyline between Rachael and Stefan somewhat predictable and formulaic.

Overall, "The Aftermath" is a beautifully crafted period drama that offers a poignant exploration of love, loss, and healing in the aftermath of war. The performances, particularly from Knightley and Skarsgård, are strong, and the film's atmospheric setting and visual aesthetics add depth to the story. Despite some pacing issues and familiar romantic tropes, "The Aftermath" is a thought-provoking film that delves into the complexities of human emotions and the aftermath of conflict.

Since the movie poster with the prominent appearance of my favorite actress Keira Knightley appears on the cover of the freshly re-released novel by the same name I consider it justified to compare the movie adaptation to the book and its notable deviations from the original plot. I read through a fair slice of the book and while I understand a movie adaptation must cut corners for the necessity of brevity it is quite remarkable to cut an entire character out of the plot. Since in the book there's an interesting dynamic developing between Freda (or Frieda), which is the German's daughter and the surviving son of the British couple and that whole plot has been cut from the movie because there's no remaining son! The parents are grieving for the loss of one of their children but would have all the more reason to persist in their faltering marriage if not for the bereft sibling. Another missing character is a woman that the British man hires for army work and with who he also was developing some sort of affair, even if that would not come to fruition it is an important part of understanding why the couple was growing apart: with the woman taking a liking to the German architect and her soldier husband to someone of is staff. Without these key ingredients what is left in the movie is only the one-sided affair of the woman with the German. It's quite incomprehensible that while the movie still has a duration of almost 2 hours there was no time to include these plot elements and it would have given the movie some more depth and have kept the story going on a heightened pace. What's left of the movie is not entirely bad and the main actors are making the most of what they are given to work with, but being familiar with the book left me with a feeling of disappointment.