Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

An unapologetically earnest anime about love in the time of war

7.0

Movie

d, Japan
Japanese
Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
2020
TAICHI ISHIDATE
Aya Endo, Aya Saito, Ayako Kawasumi
140 min

What it's about

As the world moves on from the war and technological advances bring changes to her life, Violet still hopes to see her lost commanding officer again.

The take

Based on the 13-episode series of the same name, Violet Evergarden tells the story of Violet, a scribe commissioned to write letters at a time when telephones and computers had yet to exist. Shell-shocked from her time in the war, Violet is exceptionally stoic, except when she remembers Gilbert, her military superior and sometime lover. His parting words were "I love you," and through her letters, Violet has been examining the meaning of the phrase since then. 

Fans of the series will have no trouble following the events of the film, but if you're going in cold without any prior exposure to the franchise, it might take a while for you to adjust to its world. More an amalgamation of multiple cultures than a reflection of just one, the imaginary Leidenschaftlich is filled with Japanese-speaking citizens, in modern-day-influenced clothes, with architecture and vistas that could fit right in 1800s Western Europe. Against this backdrop, Violet attempts to restart her life as a writer. Living often doesn't feel easy, especially when PTSD comes in the form of shocks and painful flashbacks, but loving, as she finds out, might be even harder. A tale of self-forgiveness and forging on, despite all odds, Violet Evergarden is a moving ode to life and love at a time of war. 

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Taste of Things (2023)

Consider this film, which is as comforting and delightful as the dishes served in it, chicken soup for the wearied soul

7.6

Terrorizers (1986)

Three couples search for truth in this fascinating jigsaw puzzle of modern urban living

7.7

The Sacrifice (1986)

In his final film, Andrei Tarkovsky contemplates the end of the world in this meditative modern twist to the Sacrifice of Isaac

8.1

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020)

Actor David Arquette is too unhinged for Hollywood, too Hollywood for pro wrestling

7.5

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)

Thomas Vinterberg and David Nicholls team up for an enchanting, yet grounded modern interpretation of the classic countryside novel

7.5

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Civil War (2024)

Set in a future splintered America, Civil War takes a chilling closer look at war journalism and fractured politics

7.4

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.