Synopsis
Set in the fields of Devon and the WW1 battlefields of Flanders, two brothers fall for the same girl while contending with the pressures of their feudal family life, the war, and the price of courage and cowardice.
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Cast
- Jack O'ConnellCharlie Peaceful
- George MacKayTommo Peaceful
- Richard GriffithsThe Colonel
- Frances de la TourGrandma Wolf
- Maxine PeakeHazel Peaceful
- Alexandra RoachMolly Monks
- John LynchSergeant Hanley
- Anthony FlanaganRecruiting Sergeant
- Paul ReadyCaptain Wilkins
- Eline PowellAnna
Recommendations
- 70
Variety
One more story about how the Great War’s casual disdain for human life planted the seeds for the social unrest that followed, the defiantly old-fashioned Private Peaceful nevertheless succeeds in hitting the right emotional notes, with a handy assist from Rachel Portman’s score. - 63
Slant Magazine
By modestly embracing its inherent minimalism and finding the emotions underlying even the most schematic of scenarios, the film taps into something unmistakably human. - 60
CineVue
With some seriously fine performances and a simple but effective visual style that helps establish the film as a believable period piece, O'Connor's film is a solid adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel. - 60
Empire
With the feel of prestige telly, it's nicely done, sweet and moving. - 60
The Guardian
Private Peaceful is a small-scale story in essence, which works efficiently on the non-epic scale in which it's presented. - 60
Time Out London
There’s much over-egged mugging from the grown-ups (bumbling toff Richard Griffiths, shouty sarge John Lynch), but the lads are spot-on: young Mackay is effectively touching and bristling O’Connell hints at Next Big Thing charisma. - 60
Village Voice
O'Connor tries mightily to contextualize the suffering of the Peaceful brothers at home and abroad, making a better case for the British class system's demise than for their survival. - 60
New York Daily News
Fans of PBS, history and a certain kind of old-fashioned moviemaking may fall in.
