Based on English author Pat Barker's acclaimed 1991 novel, "Regeneration" is a searingly profound drama about shell-shocked soldiers in World War I receiving psychological treatment with the goal of returning them to the front.
Well-received in Palm Springs and eminently worthy of distribution, the English-Canadian production features outstanding performances by lead Jonathan Pryce and a trio of sterling supporting players -- James Wilby, Jonny Lee Miller and Stuart Bunce -- as well as superb direction by Gillies MacKinnon and a terrific script by seasoned veteran Allan Scott ("Don't Look Now", "In Love and War" and many others).
For centuries, the rallying cry of soldiers in harm's way was "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" (it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country). But the apocalyptic conflict raging in 1917, when the movie takes place, is nothing but a massive slaughter that profoundly affects anyone who takes part in it -- even if they interact only with the wounded survivors.
Set mainly in the soggy climes of Scotland, where British officers and ordinary soldiers are brought to Edinburgh's Craiglockart Hospital to recover from the horrors of trench warfare, "Regeneration" opens with a stunning overhead shot of a muddy battlefield littered with the dead and dying.
The film is a stirring, mostly true anti-war story that leaves one moved and angered by the inhumanity of political and ideological forces that reduce individuals to so much cannon fodder.
A kind and empathetic professional, Dr. William Rivers (Pryce) pursues hypnosis as a cure for his patients, even if the method is not always successful. In a scene late in the film, he takes a much-needed break and observes the practices of a rival (David Hayman), who uses shock therapy. It's a vicious continuation of the cruelty, and Rivers is not converted. On the verge of his own nervous breakdown, he begins to seriously question the official practice of "regenerating" the poor souls in his care.
Wilby ("Howards End") is noble but aloof as the aristocratic poet Siegfried Sassoon, who refuses to acknowledge that he's a war hero and goes through with the unthinkable: a public denouncement of the war as a terrible crime perpetrated and prolonged by the European ruling classes. Rivers knows his duty, but he's sympathetic to some degree with Wilby and tries to dissuade him from going further with a protest that will most likely result in a court-martial.
As gentle poet Wilfred Owen, Bunce ("First Knight") draws one into the creative world his character shares with Sassoon, an unfriendly bloke who encourages the novice writer to create such masterpieces as "Anthem for Doomed Youth". Equally memorable, Miller ("Trainspotting") has potent screen presence as Prior.
Well-received in Palm Springs and eminently worthy of distribution, the English-Canadian production features outstanding performances by lead Jonathan Pryce and a trio of sterling supporting players -- James Wilby, Jonny Lee Miller and Stuart Bunce -- as well as superb direction by Gillies MacKinnon and a terrific script by seasoned veteran Allan Scott ("Don't Look Now", "In Love and War" and many others).
For centuries, the rallying cry of soldiers in harm's way was "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" (it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country). But the apocalyptic conflict raging in 1917, when the movie takes place, is nothing but a massive slaughter that profoundly affects anyone who takes part in it -- even if they interact only with the wounded survivors.
Set mainly in the soggy climes of Scotland, where British officers and ordinary soldiers are brought to Edinburgh's Craiglockart Hospital to recover from the horrors of trench warfare, "Regeneration" opens with a stunning overhead shot of a muddy battlefield littered with the dead and dying.
The film is a stirring, mostly true anti-war story that leaves one moved and angered by the inhumanity of political and ideological forces that reduce individuals to so much cannon fodder.
A kind and empathetic professional, Dr. William Rivers (Pryce) pursues hypnosis as a cure for his patients, even if the method is not always successful. In a scene late in the film, he takes a much-needed break and observes the practices of a rival (David Hayman), who uses shock therapy. It's a vicious continuation of the cruelty, and Rivers is not converted. On the verge of his own nervous breakdown, he begins to seriously question the official practice of "regenerating" the poor souls in his care.
Wilby ("Howards End") is noble but aloof as the aristocratic poet Siegfried Sassoon, who refuses to acknowledge that he's a war hero and goes through with the unthinkable: a public denouncement of the war as a terrible crime perpetrated and prolonged by the European ruling classes. Rivers knows his duty, but he's sympathetic to some degree with Wilby and tries to dissuade him from going further with a protest that will most likely result in a court-martial.
As gentle poet Wilfred Owen, Bunce ("First Knight") draws one into the creative world his character shares with Sassoon, an unfriendly bloke who encourages the novice writer to create such masterpieces as "Anthem for Doomed Youth". Equally memorable, Miller ("Trainspotting") has potent screen presence as Prior.
- 8/14/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Based on English author Pat Barker's acclaimed 1991 novel, "Regeneration" is a searingly profound drama about shell-shocked soldiers in World War I receiving psychological treatment with the goal of returning them to the front.
Well-received at the Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival and eminently worthy of distribution, the English-Canadian production features outstanding performances by lead Jonathan Pryce and a trio of sterling supporting players -- James Wilby, Jonny Lee Miller and Stuart Bunce -- as well as superb direction by Gillies MacKinnon and a terrific script by seasoned veteran Allan Scott ("Don't Look Now", "In Love and War" and many others).
For centuries, the rallying cry of soldiers in harm's way was "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" (it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country). But the apocalyptic conflict raging in 1917, when the movie takes place, is nothing but a massive slaughter that profoundly affects anyone who takes part in it -- even if they interact only with the wounded survivors.
Set mainly in the soggy climes of Scotland, where British officers and ordinary soldiers are brought to Edinburgh's Craiglockart Hospital to recover from the horrors of trench warfare, "Regeneration" opens with a stunning overhead shot of a muddy battlefield littered with the dead and dying.
The film is a stirring, mostly true anti-war story that leaves one moved and angered by the inhumanity of political and ideological forces that reduce individuals to so much cannon fodder.
A kind and empathetic professional, Dr. William Rivers (Pryce) pursues hypnosis as a cure for his patients, even if the method is not always successful. In a scene late in the film, he takes a much-needed break and observes the practices of a rival (David Hayman), who uses shock therapy. It's a vicious continuation of the cruelty, and Rivers is not converted. On the verge of his own nervous breakdown, he begins to seriously question the official practice of "regenerating" the poor souls in his care.
Wilby ("Howards End") is noble but aloof as the aristocratic poet Siegfried Sassoon, who refuses to acknowledge that he's a war hero and goes through with the unthinkable: a public denouncement of the war as a terrible crime perpetrated and prolonged by the European ruling classes. Rivers knows his duty, but he's sympathetic to some degree with Wilby and tries to dissuade him from going further with a protest that will most likely result in a court-martial.
As gentle poet Wilfred Owen, Bunce ("First Knight") draws one into the creative world his character shares with Sassoon, an unfriendly bloke who encourages the novice writer to create such masterpieces as "Anthem for Doomed Youth". Equally memorable, Miller ("Trainspotting") has potent screen presence as Prior.
REGENERATION
Rafford Films, Norstar Entertainment,
BBC Films, Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Producers: Allan Scott, Peter R. Simpson
Screenwriter: Allan Scott
Based on the novel by: Pat Barker
Executive producers: Saskia Sutton, Mark Shivas
Director of photography: Glen Macpherson
Production designer: Andy Harris
Costume designer: Kate Carin
Casting: Sarah Trevis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dr. William Rivers: Jonathan Pryce
Siegfried Sassoon: James Wilby
Billy Prior: Jonny Lee Miller
Wilfred Owen: Stuart Bunce
Sarah: Tanya Allen
Dr. Bryce: David Hayman
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Well-received at the Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival and eminently worthy of distribution, the English-Canadian production features outstanding performances by lead Jonathan Pryce and a trio of sterling supporting players -- James Wilby, Jonny Lee Miller and Stuart Bunce -- as well as superb direction by Gillies MacKinnon and a terrific script by seasoned veteran Allan Scott ("Don't Look Now", "In Love and War" and many others).
For centuries, the rallying cry of soldiers in harm's way was "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" (it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country). But the apocalyptic conflict raging in 1917, when the movie takes place, is nothing but a massive slaughter that profoundly affects anyone who takes part in it -- even if they interact only with the wounded survivors.
Set mainly in the soggy climes of Scotland, where British officers and ordinary soldiers are brought to Edinburgh's Craiglockart Hospital to recover from the horrors of trench warfare, "Regeneration" opens with a stunning overhead shot of a muddy battlefield littered with the dead and dying.
The film is a stirring, mostly true anti-war story that leaves one moved and angered by the inhumanity of political and ideological forces that reduce individuals to so much cannon fodder.
A kind and empathetic professional, Dr. William Rivers (Pryce) pursues hypnosis as a cure for his patients, even if the method is not always successful. In a scene late in the film, he takes a much-needed break and observes the practices of a rival (David Hayman), who uses shock therapy. It's a vicious continuation of the cruelty, and Rivers is not converted. On the verge of his own nervous breakdown, he begins to seriously question the official practice of "regenerating" the poor souls in his care.
Wilby ("Howards End") is noble but aloof as the aristocratic poet Siegfried Sassoon, who refuses to acknowledge that he's a war hero and goes through with the unthinkable: a public denouncement of the war as a terrible crime perpetrated and prolonged by the European ruling classes. Rivers knows his duty, but he's sympathetic to some degree with Wilby and tries to dissuade him from going further with a protest that will most likely result in a court-martial.
As gentle poet Wilfred Owen, Bunce ("First Knight") draws one into the creative world his character shares with Sassoon, an unfriendly bloke who encourages the novice writer to create such masterpieces as "Anthem for Doomed Youth". Equally memorable, Miller ("Trainspotting") has potent screen presence as Prior.
REGENERATION
Rafford Films, Norstar Entertainment,
BBC Films, Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Producers: Allan Scott, Peter R. Simpson
Screenwriter: Allan Scott
Based on the novel by: Pat Barker
Executive producers: Saskia Sutton, Mark Shivas
Director of photography: Glen Macpherson
Production designer: Andy Harris
Costume designer: Kate Carin
Casting: Sarah Trevis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dr. William Rivers: Jonathan Pryce
Siegfried Sassoon: James Wilby
Billy Prior: Jonny Lee Miller
Wilfred Owen: Stuart Bunce
Sarah: Tanya Allen
Dr. Bryce: David Hayman
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.