Cast: Catherine McCormack, Rachel Weisz, Anna Friel, Steven Mackintosh, Tom Georgeson, Maureen
O'Brien
Director: David Leland
Producer: Simon Relph
Screenplay: David Leland and Keith Dewhurst, based on the novel by Angela Huth
Cinematography: Henry Braham
Music: Brian Lock
U.S. Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
Most World War II dramas are about the men who go away to fight. Of the countless films made about the bloodiest conflict of this century, the majority transpire in France, Germany, or the South Pacific. The Land Girls is different on both of these counts. It takes place on a farm in rural England, and the protagonists are three women who do their part for the war effort at home. Like Rosie the Riveter, the members of the Women's Land Army provide a vital domestic service without which the Allied effort would have suffered. With the men away, there weren't enough hands to keep the farms running, so the Women's Land Army was formed to provide the labor needed to keep production up.
The premise raises a lot of intriguing possibilities, few of which are explored in David Leland's film. Instead of examining the unique issues created by this situation, The Land Girls chooses the familiar path of a romantic melodrama. This would have been okay if the love story was more involving, but it feels obligatory, almost as if Leland (who shared writing duties in addition to directing) forced the narrative to take shape around this aspect because he didn't have enough other material to comprise a feature-length effort.
We meet three "land girls" -- plucky, independent women who abandon their familiar lives to help out on the home front. There's Stella (Catherine McCormack), the sensible, gentle one who has joined the Women's Land Army to be nearer to her fiancé, an officer in the Royal Navy. There's Ag (Rachel Weisz), the quiet, nervous one who puts on airs. And There's Prue (Anna Friel), the tempestuous one, whose primary goal in life seems to be to have sex with every man she meets. Of the three, Stella gets the lion's share of the screen time. Prue has a story arc, although its not as long or detailed as Stella's. Any character development for Ag is thrown in as an afterthought -- she's an individual without much purpose or presence.
The trio has been assigned to work on the Lawrence Farm, which is currently manned by four people: grumpy Mr. Lawrence (Tom Georgeson), kindhearted Mrs. Lawrence (Maureen O'Brien), their cocky son, Joe (Steven Mackintosh), and an old farmhand who rarely speaks a word. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence need the girls because Joe has announced his intention to join the RAF. But, with their arrival, his plans get sidetracked as he enjoys flirtatious trysts with Prue and Ag while the real object of his affections, Stella, remains cool and aloof.
As is almost always the case in British productions, the acting is solid. Catherine McCormack (last seen as the honest courtesan in Dangerous Beauty) is as captivating as in her previous appearances, despite the dowdy work clothes she sports for most of the film. Rachel Weisz (Swept from the Sea) isn't all that impressive, but she doesn't have much to do. Anna Friel exhibits a lively energy. Steven Mackintosh's well-modulated portrayal of Joe has the character treading the thin line between scoundrel and love interest.
The disappointment about The Land Girls is that storyline fits such a familiar pattern. The best parts are those that concentrate on how the trio of protagonists copes with the unusual circumstances, and how Mr. Lawrence begrudgingly comes to accept, and even welcome, the aid. (His comment upon their arrival: "They're not an army -- [this is] just an excuse for a lark.") But the formulaic love story, made even less interesting by the lack of chemistry between the participants, intrudes. This is not the kind of tragic or glorious romance to capture the heart and send the spirit soaring. Instead, it's just a necessity of the plot. In the end, while The Land Girls is certainly a watchable motion picture, there's nothing special about the story or the characters -- little to tease the intellect or excite the emotions. Since it's not an inherently theatrical motion picture (except for a couple of scenes featuring aerial stunts), it will probably play as well on video as on the big screen.
© 1998 James Berardinelli