Now Showing: Fragments of Heart

 

Fragments of Heart

Genre: Drama/War/Romance

Director: James Gray

Writer: Ben Collins

Cast: Harris Dickinson, Thomasin McKenzie, Sarah Paulson, Finn Cole, Mark Strong, Stephen Graham, Charlotte Hope, Dean Norris

Plot: The film opens with a fiery sunset on the battlefield of the First World War. The sky is painted red and orange as distant explosions light up the horizon. The camera moves slowly through the muddy trenches, showing exhausted and dirty soldiers trying to rest in precarious conditions. Among them is the young soldier William Horner (Harris Dickinson), a determined face amid the surrounding chaos. Next to him, there is also the young soldier Thomas Dawson (Finn Cole), a long-time friend of William, with whom he shares not only the front, but also dreams and distant memories. The two had grown up together and were neighbors in their small town.

William and Thomas, sitting on a small makeshift wooden bench, share a moment of pause. William unscrews the cap of the water bottle and offers Thomas a sip of water. With familiar gestures, they pass the water bottle as if it were a consolidated ritual over time.

In the silence interrupted only by the dark sound of distant bombing, the two friends drink slowly, uniting in the memory of days gone by. Their gazes meet, conveying a deep understanding. Remaining still, the two men look at each other in silence, a sort of unspoken language communicating the unshakable bond between them. At that moment they hear the voices of their comrades saying that the enemy is advancing and to return to position.

A few minutes pass. William and Thomas find themselves with their platoon in a muddy trench, surrounded by the incessant roar of war. As the explosions follow one another, the two friends exchange looks full of determination but also concern. Lieutenant Reynolds (Dean Norris), a resolute and experienced officer, runs along the trench, giving orders and motivating the soldiers. The reassuring voice of Sergeant Miller (Stephen Graham), a veteran with an infectious calm, is heard as he gives instructions to resist the enemy attack. In the midst of the chaos, William and Thomas stand together, firing steadily towards the enemy. A series of explosions brings the danger closer: a projectile hits the wall of the trench, unleashing debris and mud. William is thrown back by a shock wave, hitting his back violently on the ground. Thomas tries to protect his friend but is struck a moment later by falling debris and becomes trapped beneath it. Lieutenant Reynolds shouts orders to evacuate, but the deafening noise of the explosions prevents the soldiers from hearing him. William, despite his wounds, drags Thomas out of the trench, acting instinctively to save his friend. Sergeant Miller rushes to their aid, helping William free Thomas and get away from the danger area. Confusion and danger increase as the platoon desperately tries to resist the enemy attack. During their escape a grenade hits them, killing both Miller and Thomas instantly. William, who is slightly behind them, is grazed and is seriously injured and slowly closes his eyes while dust and mud obscure his vision. William faints.

The field hospital quickly fills with the wounded and dying. The nurses work tirelessly to treat the wounded. Among them is Emma (Thomasin McKenzie) who is holding the hand of a soldier who is taking his last breaths after giving Emma a letter to deliver to his fiancée who is waiting for him at home. After the soldier's death, Emma has a moment of despair and is consoled by a couple of other nurses. At that moment the head nurse, the expert Ann Jeffers (Sarah Paulson_, shouts that there are new wounded arriving and many more dead.

Emma is checking on the dead people including Thomas and Miller as well as the body of William who had been presumed dead. When she begins to examine William she realizes that he is still alive, she begins to scream that the boy is still breathing and has a weak pulse. Captain Smith, a reliable soldier and excellent doctor, immediately rushes in and assesses the situation with Ann. He says that the boy can be saved but we need to operate immediately. He says that many of the last injured boys will not survive the night due to wounds and infections but William has a chance of survival. Smith makes it clear that medical resources are scarce and the situation is critical and that he must make difficult decisions to allocate resources optimally, trying to maximize the chances of survival for all the injured who can escape. The operation begins to remove the grenade splinters from his body. Smith is helped by Ann and Emma who fights hard to be present and help in the operation.

After a period of unconsciousness, William slowly reopens his eyes. The dim light of dawn penetrates the field hospital, creating a subtle aura of calm in the atmosphere. William's gaze falls on Emma who was next to her bed at that moment while she was carefully checking her condition. Their eyes meet, and despite his weakness, William tries to communicate with a look full of questions. With light gestures and barely sketched words he asks for information about Thomas. Emma doesn't know what to say and with an uncertain voice she tries to reassure William and he continues to look for an answer. After a moment's hesitation, Emma, in a thin voice, confirms the inclusion of a soldier named Thomas Dawson in the list of deceased. William's face twitched slightly and he asked Emma if it was possible to see him. She says it's not possible in his condition. Emma, however, understands William's implicit request and with a slight nod of the head tells him that she will do everything possible to make him see it but that now she must stay there and recover. Emma comes out and alerts Smith to the boy's improved condition.

Emma determinedly approaches Ann, the head nurse, and after informing her of the soldier's awakening she presses her with an urgent request. In a soft but firm voice, she expresses her hope to show Thomas's body to William. Ann, with her stern face and fixed gaze, immediately rejects Emma's request, explaining her impossibility due to the procedures and the delicacy of the situation. Emma's disappointment soon turns to frustration and then anger and she tells Ann that she is too inflexible with her rules and that she doesn't understand the suffering of those young boys. Without waiting for further explanation, Emma walks away from Ann. The truth is that Emma knows nothing of the weight Ann carries on her shoulders. She completely ignores the fact that Ann has experienced the greatest pain a parent can endure: she lost all three of her children during the war, not even being able to see them or say goodbye to them. Shortly thereafter, while Emma talks to Caroline (Charlotte Hope), another nurse, she learns of the personal tragedy that has marked Ann's life. Caroline's words hit Emma like lightning, making her feel a very strong sense of guilt.

In the darkness of the night, the atmosphere in the field hospital is permeated by an eerie quiet. Soft candle lights cast long shadows as the wounded rest or battle fitful sleep. Emma, immersed in her thoughts, finds herself wandering around the camp. The tension of the day is reflected in her tired eyes, while a gust of wind moves the light curtains. Her mind is filled with thoughts about everything that happened that day. In one corner a female figure leans against the curtain smoking a cigarette. It's Ann, the head nurse, whose fixed gaze seems to be lost in deep reflections. Ann, usually resolute and determined, turns slightly surprised to see Emma. Emma, with a silently determined expression, approaches Ann. Ann, foreseeing the reason for the meeting, anticipates Emma's intentions. In a calm voice, she tells her that she has changed her mind about her request, telling her that she has already worked to track down Thomas among her corpses. She then goes on to say that she has already carefully arranged it, so that William can see it the following morning. The surprise painted on Emma's face is palpable, a mixture of gratitude and disbelief. Without hesitation, she spontaneously hugs Ann and apologizes for what Ann said to her that afternoon.

The next morning, Emma approaches Captain Smith, seeking news on William's health. Smith, with an encouraging expression, assures her that William's condition is improving significantly, showing steady progress. Emma goes to the soldier and finds him lying in bed, visibly more alert than the previous day. She gently asks him how he feels, revealing a smile of encouragement. Then, with a compassionate tone of voice, Emma moves even closer to William, offering him the opportunity to see her friend for the last time. The silence becomes pressing, interrupted only by William's suffocated gasps, while some tears fall on his face. The camera captures Emma's shining eyes and also those of Ann Ann, usually impassive, she lets herself be touched by that moment of emotion. The camera then focuses on William's other hand, wrapped around Emma's hand.

William continues his healing journey under Emma's careful care, while the relationship between them grows increasingly stronger. The conversations between William and Emma become moments of refuge from the harsh reality of war. Ann, with her determination, coordinates the hospital staff, while Smith, the head doctor, supervises the treatments and therapies of the wounded. In the heart of this chaos, William faces his inner demons and the fear of an uncertain future. Emma, with dedication and compassion, tries to instill hope in William, sharing details of his life before the conflict and his aspirations. The presence of Ann, with her strong and decisive character, and of Smith, with her medical expertise, gives a sense of order and control in the tumult of the military hospital. The bond between William and Emma grows stronger as the days pass, with Emma becoming a beacon of hope for William in the darkness of war. In a moment of intimacy and vulnerability, William confesses his feelings to Emma. Emma, in turn, recognizes the attraction and depth of those feelings, even though she is aware of the precariousness of their love, undermined by the uncertainties of war.

When the crucial day arrives, William, now recovered, receives orders to return to the front to participate in a vital offensive. The announcement throws Emma into despair, but she knows that she cannot keep William from his soldier's duty. Between tears and promises, they exchange glances full of meaning, understanding the gravity of the situation. With the tangible symbol of their love, a necklace with a star-shaped pendant, in their hands, William leaves, leaving Emma prey to the sadness and uncertainty of a suspended love. As William walks away, her gaze remains engraved in Emma's mind, a silent promise of return, a bond that keeps her anchored to hope despite the horror of war. The camera follows William as he joins the troops on the move, the soldiers marching forward determined and resolute despite the fear behind their gazes. The camera slowly moves away from Emma and looks at William as she disappears into the horizon while Caroline and Ann support her with gestures and words of reassurance.

The weeks pass in an agonizing way, with William dealing with danger and death in the trenches while Emma continues to save lives and hope for the return of her beloved. The order arrives as abruptly as a bolt from the blue: William's division must join the offensive in the Battle of Caporetto, a crucial event that could determine the outcome of the war. During the bitter battle, William is seriously injured, the chaos and confusion leave room only for suffering and desperation. Communications are cut, and William is reported missing. Emma, anguished, tries by all means to get news of him, scrutinizing faces and begging for information.

Emma decides to escape the narrow reality of the hospital and heads to the battlefield, where the sun slowly begins its descent to the horizon. The wreckage, smoking remains and her corpses fill the field, a dark and ghostly landscape that brings back all the memories of the moments of fear and hope she has experienced so far. The sky painted red and orange evokes the same sensations felt in the first scene, but this time Emma perceives a different vibration in the air: something familiar, something that makes her heart beat wildly. A light caresses her sight: the necklace with the star-shaped pendant, a gift that she and William had exchanged as a symbol of their love. Her hand trembles as she grabs the pendant, clutching it tightly to her chest. A solitary tear runs down her face, a silent witness to her desperation and the hope that has not yet been shattered.

In a frenzy, Emma begins frantically searching through the rubble and remains. Suddenly a faint voice that, like an echo, makes its way through the sounds of the ceased battle. "Emma...", a faint voice approaching. Initially Emma cannot recognize whether the voice is real or just in her mind. At that moment, among the rubble and squalor of the battlefield, William appears: wounded, dirty and exhausted, but alive. A mixture of joy, pain and dismay runs through Emma's heart. She runs towards William without hesitation, tears streaming down her face. The two embrace each other forcefully, almost in disbelief at their reunion in the midst of that terrible chaos.