Released in late 2025, The Choral marks a significant milestone in British cinema as the fourth collaboration between the venerable playwright Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner. Produced by Head Gear Films and Metrol Technology and distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, this 113-minute drama made its high-profile debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025, before reaching UK screens on November 7. The film is a period piece that blends history, music, and war, set against the backdrop of the First World War in 1916.
The story centers on the fictional Yorkshire town of Ramsden, a place defined by its industrial looms and rolling moors, now slowly being emptied of its young men. When the local choral society’s male members are called to the front, the community is left in a state of musical and emotional paralysis. Into this void steps Dr. Henry Guthrie, played by Ralph Fiennes, an enigmatic and controversial conductor whose past in Germany makes him a target of suspicion in a time of feverish nationalism. Alongside a veteran cast including Roger Allam, Mark Addy, and Simon Russell Beale, the film introduces us to a younger generation of performers like Amara Okereke and Jacob Dudman, who represent the "doomed youth" that Bennett so poignantly explores. This film matters because it is Bennett’s first original screenplay for the screen in over forty years, arriving when the writer is 91, offering a "wintry" and "comic" meditation on mortality and the enduring power of art.
Story and Screenplay: A Wry Anthem for a Disappearing Generation
The narrative structure of The Choral functions as a microcosm of the British home front, focusing on those left behind: the old, the disabled, and the teenagers waiting for their eighteenth birthdays. Bennett’s script avoids the typical "underdog sports" tropes often found in choir-themed movies. Instead of a triumphant rise to glory, the pacing is deliberate and quiet, focusing on the friction between a community’s traditional Anglican values and Guthrie’s secular, rigorous devotion to high art.
The screenplay’s greatest strength lies in its refusal to gloss over the raw reality of wartime life. There is a surprising frankness regarding human intimacy that cuts through the tea-and-crumpets atmosphere. We see the awkward, desperate attempts of young men to experience adulthood and connection before facing potential death on the battlefield. One particularly poignant scene involves a wounded soldier, Clyde, returning home with life-altering injuries and seeking a desperate form of physical solace from his former sweetheart, Bella. These moments anchor the film in a gritty, human reality that contrasts sharply with the "Hovis advert" beauty of the Yorkshire setting. However, the script is occasionally spread too thin, attempting to juggle nearly a dozen subplots that don't always receive the breathing room they require.
Acting and Characters: Fiennes Leads a Chorus of Grief and Grace
Ralph Fiennes delivers what many consider to be the film’s anchor, playing Dr. Guthrie with a "threefold" layer of complexity. He is an outsider on every level: a former resident of Germany, an atheist, and a man whose "peculiarities"—a contemporary euphemism for his clandestine personal life—remain a source of hushed town gossip. Fiennes portrays this repressed passion with a studied delicacy, conveying Guthrie’s internal mourning for a German companion he can never publicly name. His chemistry with the choir is not one of warm mentorship but of professional demand, urging them to find "grace" through the precision of their voices.
The supporting cast is equally formidable. Roger Allam shines as Alderman Bernard Duxbury, the mill owner who finances the choir. Allam skillfully navigates Duxbury’s transition from a pompous benefactor to a grieving father. Among the younger cast, Amara Okereke stands out as Mary, a Salvation Army singer with an "angelic" voice. Jacob Dudman also leaves a lasting impression as the wounded Clyde, capturing the palpable sadness of a young man whose return home is marked by isolation and physical trauma.
Direction and Technical Aspects: Theatrical Roots and Pastoral Vistas
Nicholas Hytner’s direction is "handsomely mounted," yet it clearly bears the imprint of his extensive theater background. Many scenes feel "stagey," with characters arranged in compositions that might work better behind a proscenium arch than on a cinema screen. This results in a film that feels "claustrophobic" in its intimacy, even when set against the vast Yorkshire moors.
The cinematography by Mike Eley is described as "pristine" and "wheaty," capturing the mist-draped hills and honey-filtered streets of the fictional Ramsden. This visual "buttery gloss" creates a stark contrast with the raw emotional scars of the characters’ lives. The production design by Jenny Beavan is period-perfect, from the "perfectly pressed costumes" to the authentic look of a 1916 mill town, ensuring the setting feels lived-in rather than like a museum exhibit.
Trailer The Choral (2025)
Music and Atmosphere: The Dream of Gerontius as a Vessel for Purgatory
The core of the film’s atmosphere is its music, specifically Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. The choice of this oratorio—a Catholic libretto about an old man facing death—is a radical move for a "resolutely Anglican" town during a war where death is ubiquitous. The film effectively uses music as a means of "exalting and redeeming" the community, providing a "momentary elevation" while young men continue to die.
The tone is a delicate balance of "wry, melancholic, and sneakily profound". It moves from "sardonic gallows humor" to "outright tragedy". While the film has a "cup-of-tea cosiness," it is regularly punctured by the "macabre normalcy" of the "letters from the King" informing families of their dead loved ones.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Ralph Fiennes’ Performance: A formidable, nuanced turn that adds weight and class to every scene.
- Unique WWI Perspective: Focuses on the "people left behind" and the "human spirit" rather than the trenches.
- Unsentimental Writing: Alan Bennett’s script avoids clichés in favor of "wintry" realism and sharp wit.
- Musical Excellence: The choral performances are immersive and revelatory.
- Mature Candor: The honest portrayal of wartime relationships adds a layer of maturity rarely seen in British period dramas.
Weaknesses:
- Narrative Overcrowding: Tries to follow too many characters, leaving several subplots underdeveloped.
- "Stagey" Direction: Some moments feel more suited for the theater than the big screen.
- Inconsistent Tone: The film swings between moods without always giving narrative threads enough time to breathe.
Final Verdict: A Quiet, Plangent Pleasure
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The Choral is a "proudly old-fashioned crowd pleaser" that rewards patient viewers with its sincerity and attention to detail. It is not a film of explosive action, but rather a "quiet and consistent pleasure" that finds grace in the face of inevitable loss. While it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own ensemble, the core of the film—Fiennes’ luminous performance and Bennett’s dry, profound observations—remains intact.
This film is a must-watch for fans of Alan Bennett's specific brand of "chipper" but melancholic British storytelling and those who appreciate Ralph Fiennes' ability to command a screen. It will particularly resonate with audiences who enjoy period dramas that prioritize character development and thematic depth over spectacle, as well as those interested in WWI stories told from the home front perspective. Music lovers, especially fans of classical choral works and Elgar's compositions, will find the musical sequences deeply rewarding.
However, viewers seeking fast-paced narratives or traditional war film action may find the deliberate pacing challenging. Those who prefer tightly focused stories might be frustrated by the multiple subplots that don't all receive equal development. Ultimately, The Choral is a poignant reminder that while worlds blow up, art remains something "true and lasting"—a song that continues even when everything else seems to stop.
 Movie Review: A Plangent and Wry Exploration of Artistic Grace Amidst the Looming Shadows of the Great War){kind=link}
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