The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
War poet Sassoon’ s life gets rhyme and reason
Actress Kate Phillips is no stranger to period dramas. Her breakout role as Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour, in hit BBC series Wolf Hall saw her propelled into the public consciousness, and appearances as Linda Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Princess Mary in Downton Abbey have cemented her position as a go-to for historical roles.
Her considered manner and eloquent responses align perfectly with the latter of those on-screen characters, chatting over Zoom with the utmost poise.
Conversation centres around her latest featurelength project, Benediction – another period drama, albeit a somewhat contemporary take, shot through the eyes of Bafta-nominated screenwriter Terence Davies.
“I think what’s so exciting, particularly about bringing moments of history to the now, is that you’re bringing what feels like a sepia, grainy [image] from the history books and you’re making it vivid,” says Phillips. “It’s reminding you that the people who walked those paths are no different to you or I – and that, for me, is the joy of playing characters that once existed.”
Delving into the life of revered First World War poet Siegfried Sassoon, it’s a cinematic offering from Davies (A Quiet Passion, The Deep Blue Sea) that places the private life of the writer under the microscope.
Aside from intersplicing Siegfried’s frontline experiences with snapshots of his literary development and notably his stance as a conscientious objector, Benediction focuses on the poet’s confliction when it comes to social conformity and homosexuality.
Led by Dunkirk star Jack Lowden as a young Siegfried, Benediction sees 33-year-old Phillips star as Hester, Siegfried’s wife, during her youth. Succeeded by Bafta and Academy Award-winning actor, director and screenwriter Peter Capaldi as he embodies the poet during his formative years, Bridget Jones actress Gemma Jones continues the role of Hester into old age. A list completed by War Horse star Jeremy Irvine as renowned British entertainer Ivor Novello, it’s a strong cast.
Describing the lack of written material when researching the role, Phillips explains “a few little remarks” from Hester’s acquaintances were all she had to go off. But intimate images of the couple were in abundance.
Looking through candid photographs of the pair ahead of filming – images Phillips describes as “beautiful freeze frames of their life together” – the actress explains that part of the thrill of embodying a once-living figure comes from the fact “you can’t hide behind the character”.
“This person had a whole life,” says Phillips. “She was a poet, she was in that world, an artist in her own right and just so utterly drawn to [Siegfried] and his soul and ability.”
Embarking on marriage in spite of the poet’s admissions of homosexuality, Phillips describes Hester and Siegfried’s connection as one built upon mutual respect and admiration – particularly when it came to the realm of creativity.
“She just needed to be in his orbit,” says the actress, describing the pair’s journey as a “fascinating thing to try and understand”.
A time-hopping affair, Benediction unfurls the life of a man who witnessed the horrors of conflict while fighting on the Western Front. Admired by his fellow servicemen and the British aristocracy alike, Siegfried was awarded the Military Cross for his wartime efforts.
However, the sights the poet witnessed led him to become a staunch critic of the war.
Penning a scathing letter to his commanding officer announcing he would not perform any further military duties, his words went on to divide opinion in both the House of Commons and across the media landscape.
It’s a letter that famously read: “I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.”
Objections that could have ultimately seen Siegfried court-martialled for his protests, the decision was instead made to send the former soldier to Craiglockhart, a war hospital near Edinburgh.
Diagnosed with “shell shock”, the poet spent much of his time reflecting not only on the conflict, but the sense of non-conformity he felt.
Benediction is in cinemas now.