海角大神

Set in a fictional mill town in Yorkshire, England, two years into World War I, 鈥淭he Choral鈥� can be described as old-fashioned in the best sense. The period details are lovingly applied; the script, by the great Alan Bennett, is beautifully crafted; and the performances, led by the marvelous Ralph Fiennes as the town鈥檚 reluctant choirmaster, are all standouts.

It鈥檚 the kind of movie that doesn鈥檛 get made much anymore, and more鈥檚 the pity.

Because the war is draining the town of its young men, the local choral society, headed by the mill鈥檚 owner, Alderman Bernard Duxbury (Roger Allam), is desperate to recruit male voices under the mandatory conscription age of 18. He鈥檚 also frantic to hire a new choirmaster. The likeliest candidate, Dr. Henry Guthrie (Fiennes), carries some baggage. He once had a conducting stint in Germany. Despite Guthrie鈥檚 enthusiasm for Bach鈥檚 鈥淪t. Matthew Passion,鈥� he鈥檚 an atheist. And the townspeople are unclear about his sexual orientation. As Duxbury mutters to his colleagues, 鈥淟et鈥檚 just say I鈥檇 prefer a family man.鈥�

But this is not a movie about a proliferation of prejudices. Duxbury, who lost his only son in the war, truly loves music. He stands up for Guthrie because he recognizes artistry when he sees it. In the context of 鈥淭he Choral,鈥� music-making isn鈥檛 only an aesthetic experience. Singing together, however amateurish and compromised, is a way to inspire hope. The uplift stirs even Guthrie, whose world-weary exasperation is vastly diminished by the power of song.

The director, Nicholas Hytner 鈥� who has helmed three other Bennett screenplays, including 鈥淭he Madness of King George鈥� 鈥� is essentially a man of the theater, not a visual stylist. But with a rock-solid script and a slew of ardent actors, he鈥檚 right in his element here. The storyline is replete with plots and subplots as we watch the community鈥檚 inhabitants come alive. Among them is Lofty (Oliver Briscombe), whose job is to deliver the dreaded telegrams from the war department relaying the deaths of loved ones. His best friend, Ellis (Taylor Uttley), is a scamp who regards even a new widow鈥檚 grief as an opportunity to seduce. Mary (Amara Okereke), a Salvation Army trooper, wears her uniform as a badge of honor. By common consent, she also has the voice of an angel.

Bella (Emily Fairn) hasn鈥檛 heard from her soldier beau, Clyde (Jacob Dudman), in over a year and doesn鈥檛 know whether to grieve or to move on. When he unexpectedly returns, having lost an arm in combat, their reunion is in no way conventionally heartwarming. It鈥檚 typical of 鈥淭he Choral鈥� that, despite its air of heightened conviviality, it doesn鈥檛 soft-pedal the sadness. The young men in the choir, many of them age 17, know they are soon destined for the battlefield. The nationalistic fervor that ran through the town in the early years of the war has given way to an expanding fear.

Clyde, who starred in the choir before the war, doesn鈥檛 want to rejoin. He鈥檚 too rattled by what he鈥檚 seen in the trenches. Recognizing his gifts, Guthrie convinces him otherwise. He tells Clyde that the young man has seen up close what few others have witnessed, and so life has offered him a chance to pour out his soul in song. This scene between them, and Clyde鈥檚 subsequent recitation of battlefield horrors to the assembled choir, is the film鈥檚 emotional high point.

Its comic high point comes near the end, with the arrival of the great British composer Sir Edward Elgar (Simon Russell Beale), whose oratorio 鈥淭he Dream of Gerontius鈥� the choir has adapted for its impending single performance. The oratorio concerns the death of an old man and his journey into paradise. Guthrie, with the war in mind, has revised it so that a soldier 鈥� played by Clyde 鈥� is Gerontius. At first jovial, Elgar sputters with rage when he finds out how his oratorio has been altered and withdraws his permission to stage the production. You can鈥檛 blame him exactly, but Beale鈥檚 Elgar is such a pompous preener that you don鈥檛 mind seeing him roiled. It鈥檚 the funniest cameo I鈥檝e seen all year.

But even here, with their dreams apparently dashed, members of the disparate community come together. They recognize what Elgar, in this instance, does not. In troubled times, music-making is no mere luxury. It鈥檚 spiritual sustenance.

鈥淭he Choral鈥� is rated R for some language and sexual content.

Editor鈥檚 note: This review, originally published Dec. 24, has been updated to correct the name of the character of Clyde.