Release Date (UK) – 25th November 2011
Country – UK
Certificate (UK) – PG
Runtime – 91 mins
Director – Amit Guptas
Starring – Andrea Riseborough, Tom Wlaschiha, Michael Sheen, Kimberley Nixon
Amit Guptas’ directorial debut, Resistance, is an adaptation of Own Sheers’ celebrated novel about an alternate history of the second world war. This film explores the ‘what if’ idea that D-Day didn’t work, and Britain was occupied by Nazi Germany. It follows Sarah (Andrea Risenborough), a young farmers wife who one day finds her husband, along with all the rest of the men from their their small Welsh village, missing. Confused and awaiting her husbands return, Sarah, along with the rest of the women, are subdued into co-operation with Nazi officials. The longer Germany’s military forces stay, the more the lines between collaboration, occupation and survival get blurred which leads the delicate balance of opposites to whither until eventually equilibrium subsides into conflict.
Amit Gupta manages to get the best out of his sensational cast of up and coming British talent, and the depth given to the characters manages to make them tangible without too much emphases on their back-story, giving the film momentum and carrying the narrative forward rather than dwelling on the past. One exception however is George (Iwan Rheon), which is a shame because Iwan does his justice in his performance, but the film would certainly not be missing anything if he wasn’t included. The show is stolen by Andrea Riseborough, who follows through her performance with the utmost integrity, breathing life into the character of Sarah. She finds refuge in the Nazi captain Albrecht (Tom Wlaschiha) who is torn between his duty and his emotions towards the young farmers-wife. The film lingers on the growing emotions between the two and manages to convey to the audience a somewhat Romeo & Juliet scenario, without becoming too over the top or dramatised.
Sometimes with adaptations it’s hard to stay true to the source material but with Sheers working closely together with Gupta on the screenplay Resistance manages to keep most of the format and build on it’s beautifully written visual references. Successfully capturing the atmosphere and emotional truth of the novel, Gupta handles the content delicately and manages to keep the openness of the book through his choice of silence and space. Director of Photography John Pardue does wonders builds on this with the landscape of Olchon Valley. The rolling hills, mist and emptiness of their surroundings really contribute to the mood of the film, as well as being an allegory for Sarah’s state of mind. Combined with editor Chris Barnwell’s choice of minimal editing, long takes and the simplistic framing the whole piece sits together very well without being too slow.
The essence of Sheers’ novel seeps from the screen, every visual regerence on cue and accompanied by a masterful score from Mark Bradshaw. Resistance doesn’t look, sound or feel like a directorial debut and Amit Guptas’ effort pays with this film. This is a story full of emotion, what if’s and stunning performance that will draw you in and leaving you thankful D-Day worked. With Remembrance Day on the 11th November, I can’t think of anything more fitting to watch. A triumph for all involved Resistance is a must watch and Amit Gupta is definitely someone to look out for in the coming years.
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