Coward

A remarkably accomplished film. What impressed me most was its depiction of war: it rarely needs graphic images of bloodshed to convey the enormous pressure war places on ordinary people, or the way patriotism can be used to send young men to die while those in power remain comfortable and entertained. I also loved the tension between the two lovers — one wanting the war to continue because it allows their brief happiness to survive, the other desperate to escape and unwilling to remain complicit. It is ultimately a film that made me think about what war actually is.