Originally published by L.S. Media. January 31st 2012.

L.S. Media Rating **

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Matthew Goode, Clemence Poesy, Richard Madden, Thomas Turgoose, Joseph Mawle, George Mackay, Anthony Andrews, Rory Keenan, Laurent Lafitte.

The second part of Birdsong, written by Abi Morgan, which worked well in parts in the first installment, unfortunately descended into cliché ridden and almost predictable deaths for some of the major characters within the plot. Even for those who have read Sebastian Faulks’ excellent novel it seemed to go from convoluted to create a dull ending.

The story followed on perfectly from the opener and the story followed the same suit where the shift in narrative flicked from the desolate and graphic imagery of war to the long lingering looks and excessive chin quivering of the love story between Eddie Redmayne and Clemence Poesy. It was unfortunate that this was becoming an art itself, just how many times could the long distance stares between two people could be put into what could have been an extremely brilliant piece of television. The trouble was these quivering and meaningful stares between characters bled through into the detail of war and only once did a character carry it off with any conviction and in sense truth. The moment where Jack Firebrace, played by Joseph Mawle with a wonderful sense of attachment to the role, learns of the passing of his son had me gripped. That though was only one of two sections in the second part of this adaptation that did so.

What was annoying was the amount of cliché aspects of war were thrown into the script, the moment where the letters were being written by the men as they prepared to walk towards enemy lines could have come from any war film in the last 60 years, it just needed one of the soldiers to show a picture of “his gal at home” before being killed by the bullet with his name on it. Even the slight twist on this with one of the periphery character’s obvious sexual preference was glossed over and only hinted at as he went to his doom and the aftermath of a sly picture being found amongst his personal belongings seemed contrived.

The side issue of the tunneling underneath enemy lines was only really touched upon in depth towards the end and it’s a great shame that as viewers we weren’t drawn into the world of those that fought a pointless and most idiotic war underground. The closeness and stifling feel was sadly neglected.

It’s a shame that such a powerful book had a fairly good start as life on the screen but sadly and with grave desperation felt it needed to go down every much trod avenue in both the romance and aspects of war parts of the story.

I’m glad I have seen this adaptation of Birdsong but I won’t be watching it again.

Ian D. Hall