The Crimson Field
The Crimson Field
TV-PG | 06 April 2014 (USA)

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SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie
    Majorthebys Charming and brutal
    Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast
    Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
    Sara Escobedo (sara_sassypants) This vital time in history is continually overlooked in television and movies. With "The Crimson Field", there is an accurate depiction of the trauma and life of World War I soldiers and nurses. Expertly crafted by the writers and directors, the accuracy of the production is also worth noting. The show both draws you in with the poignancy of stories and repels you with the brutality of war. Important to note the work of Oona Chaplin as our heroine Kitty Trevelyan, who holds mysteries within that seem to prevent her from opening up to others. Her behavior is intriguing and perplexing. Another character of note is Suranne Jones as Sister Joan Livesey. I wish Sister Joan had been given more of her story sooner than the last few episodes. Her work is really quite extraordinary and the resonance of action and character work would have been nice to see earlier. Her story comes to fruition quite abruptly and then dominates the end of the season. Lastly, Richard Rankin as Capt Thomas Gillan is the moral compass and voice of reason in the chaos of war. He silence is golden and emotes every possible thought and feeling, communicating with the audience on another level. His tet-a-tet with Kitty is playful, sensual, emotional, and freeing. There a lot of wonderful work here. It is too bad that BBC didn't choose to renew the show for another season. There was a lot of story and character to be developed. That might have been the issue some would have with the show later, they wrote it with a need to discover more, but there has to be more "pay-off" sooner for viewers. Overall, an interesting and important show that won't disappoint with a very minimal commitment. Beautiful, warm, and lovely, "The Crimson Field" doesn't disappoint.
    Jackson Booth-Millard I heard about this drama before it had even aired, this is because my brother, Travis Booth-Millard, was acting as an extra, and it was originally going to be titled The Ark, and me and my Mum were looking forward to watching it, both to spot my brother and because it sounded interesting. As part of the BBC World War I centenary season, a series of radio and television programmes, documentaries and dramas commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the great war, there was this one. The series shows the lives or medical staff, doctors and nurses, and patients and visitors, including war commanders and officers, of a fictional field hospital in France during the Second World War, all going through their own personal happy times, traumas, dilemmas, heartbreaks and duties, many of which are caused and affected by the war. Starring Hermione Norris as Matron Grace Carter, Oona Chaplin (Charlie's granddaughter) as Kitty Trevelyan, Richard Rankin as Capt Thomas Gillan, Marianne Oldham as Rosalie Berwick, Alice St. Clair as Flora Marshall, Kevin Doyle as Lt Col Roland Brett, Suranne Jones as Sister Joan Livesey, Alex Wyndham as Capt Miles Hesketh-Thorne, Jack Gordon as Cpl Peter Foley, Jeremy Swift as QMS Reggie Soper, Kerry Fox as Sister Margaret Quayle, Simon Wilson as Padre, Daniel Betts as Jaco Tillens, Abigail Eames as Mathilde Tillens, Stephan Luca as Anton Erhlich, Adam James as Col Charles Purbright and Karl Davies as Cpl Lawrence Prentiss. The series did have some interesting moments, the cast all do very, and it looks and feels very authentic, and of course spotting my brother Travis in particular scenes was good fun (wearing a head bandage being fed soup, sitting on a deck chair in a blue dressing gown, being escorted by nurses on crutches wearing a blue dressing gown). It sort of does not surprise me that there will not be a second series, it was good, but it probably makes more sense not to continue, plus I got a little lost at times with what was going on in each individual character's story, overall however it was a pretty watchable period wartime drama. Good!
    weberdcom I am living in the UK on a professional assignment (Jan.-June 2014). I have watched the first five episodes of this show. I like it very much! The photography and production values -- the props, the costuming, the vehicles, the built environment, the scenery -- are outstanding, not just for television, but rival excellent film productions...really wonderful. The acting is just about first-rate...Ms. St. Clair (Marshall) is perhaps a cut below, Ms. Norris (the Matron) a cut above. The show is sort of like M*A*S*H set in The Great War, although (a) the hospital is not "mobile," as it is in M*A*S*H, (b) the show revolves around drama and melodrama, instead of situation comedy plus some drama and (c ) horse-drawn wagons and rickety trucks, instead of "choppers," bring in the casualties! LtCol. Brett (?), the commanding officer of the hospital, even has a bit of Henry Morgan's character in M*A*S*H in him...although not folksy like the M*A*S*H C.O. (I can't think of the character's name), Brett goes to the mat for his people just as the M*A*S*H colonel did.I am impressed by how each of the prominent female characters--Kitty, Joan, Flora, the Matron, Quayle--have distinctive bios ... my favorite back-story is Joan's. Each of the characters is notably different from the others. The women have all followed various paths in their life-courses and end up together in this hospital, in a stew of stress, human relations, intrigue, yearning, passion, professionalism, fear and courage...and each of those emotions and conditions is given at least some special attention across any couple of episodes. The men in the show seem to me to be characterized in less detail and with less nuance ... but this is a show that focused most on the experiences of the female characters.The writing is for the most part high in quality. I occasionally would pick up some phrases, quips or comments that seem anachronistic, although not blindingly. The narrative lines are clear and the stories are compelling. A few of the subplots or plot lines are more or less traditional or predictable for a melodrama of this sort, but several come across as very original, and some (such as Joan's narrative arc, in which her recent past and its ramifications are unpacked) are quite surprising and gripping. Some of the content is a bit soapy and unduly melodramatic but for the most part I enjoy the stories and the main narrative line of the show.
    mumz BBC One needs to be much more attentive to highlighting the work that is being accomplished in this show, to draw in a much wider audience. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching The Crimson Field. It has been a delight to be introduced to so many actors and actresses who are so very talented. To be able to portray each story line, to actually get the underlying feelings and angst across in each episode in such a short time is difficult under the best of conditions. Some of the best stories from history are those of people who were not in the lime light, as that is how you get the best "feel" for how "real" people dealt with "real" life without boring the viewer to tears. The story line is quite believable, and the interaction between and amongst the principle characters is quite spot on. Modern viewers who are easily disappointed by "not enough action" or "not enough gore" or something equally compelling need to remember that, during this period, things were much simpler and people were still functioning around stereotypes and clichés. News from the rest of the world was *not* instantaneous as it is now, therefore watching a period piece with hindsight is really quite unfair to all involved in the production. To be able to portray so much within a short period of time requires all involved to be succinct and on-point ... which this series is. Now it needs to be available in the US *and* we need to have at least another 3 seasons to be able to properly follow these story lines to their conclusions.