Private Peaceful (here the trailer)  is the story of two brothers, Charlie and Tommo Peaceful played respectively by Jack O’ Connell and George MacKay.

They are  two rough country lads in love with the same girl, Molly Monks (Alexandra Roach), who work for the local landowner (Richard Griffiths).

In 1914, when the war comes and Molly is pregnant with Charlie… their lives take an unexpected turn.

The story is told with a flashback structure which was better on the page than on the screen but with a great effect in revealing the end.

Poverty, sacrifice and the power of the brothers’ bond are the ingredients of this story based on Michael Morpurgo‘s 2003 young adult novel.

As War Horse before it, Private Peaceful arrives in cinemas via Broadway and the West End but, unfortunately, unlike Steven Spielberg’s  £40 million budget movie; this one  was funded by about 100 small investors via a tax-efficient investment scheme.

To pay the price of a low budget are the visual effects but Pat O’Connor‘s did a fair job despite the financial shortcomings.

Private Peaceful is available in a new DVD version for the Centenary of the First World War start.

For the same occasion, the film, was the protagonist of a wonderful initiative in the UK (here our reportage).

“I want to die right here and now, because no tomorrow could ever be as good as today”