Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10000 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-09-10
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
During the Second World War, Britain's women were asked to help out the farming industry by joining The Women's Land Army (The Land Girls). Three city gals make their way to the Lawrence farm in Dorset, and find themselves taking to the work easily enough. The only problem between them is each want young Joe (Steven Mackintosh) for their own reasons. Ag (Anna Friel) is the fiery sort who'll take pleasure where she finds it; Prue (Rachel Wiesz) just wants a lesson in the ways of the world; while Stella (Catherine McCormack) is looking for a way out of the private trap she's set in motion back home, but her feelings are the most sincere of the bunch. The film is Stella's story really (as adapted from the novel by Angela Huth), and has her affecting the on-off decision by Joe to join the RAF, the fight with the government to keep the East Meadow as it is and the paths the two other girls end up taking. Everything is very sweet-natured, especially when played out against a backdrop of rolling green hills, chuffing steam engines and knee-high socks tucked into Wellington boots. There's no comment on the effects of war as such, instead this film is more about the reasons why we make choices in life. --Paul Tonks

Customer Reviews

Oi! Don't You Know There's a War On?
I guess that Land Girls is there to give us a 'glimpse of life in the country during World War II'. Not much material there for a feature film you might think, at least not without the obligatory sex or violence and in this case you'd be right. As most of the violence was happening in Europe, that leaves the former, and thankfully we are spared any gratuitous action in this department. How many of you thought that this sort of thing didn't go on during the war?

Even so, the emphasis is more on the romantic element which hinges on the girls' relationships with Joe the farm boy and the ways in which their lives are shaped by them (well, sort of). Poor Joe looks constantly miserable in spite of his cavortings - joining the RAF is more important to him than a roll in the hay and while this demonstrates excellent spirit, he's physically unsuitable. Unfortunately he lacks the depth which he so desperately needs, a problem which could be extended to most of the cast.

And the script come to that. Even the usually reliable Tom Georgeson speaks with a dubious accent which veers towards West Country cliche. Indeed there were several occasions when I felt the chill of a Carry On Film pervading the proceedings.

The view of the English countryside is undoubtably a romantic one and the cinematography presents it as both beautiful and evocative even though there is a strong sense of a props man pumping artificial mist across the screen. The washed out colour does give a sense of period, but it's not enough. So why not shoot it in black and white?

And thereby lies the first problem: the film just does not convince. It looks too much like a TV costume drama, most of which also fail to convey a sense of period. And while the exteriors look so English you can almost smell them, the interiors are too well art directed and do not look lived in. They look as though they were filmed in one of those museums which recreate times past and the costumes appear to have just been returned from the dry cleaners.

There are number of interesting strands which the film fails to draw together and capitalise on to give the whole a greater texture and richness. These strands are much too short to weave into the narrative and this is to the film's detriment. As it is, Land Girls is full of good intent but is largely uninteresting, unless you like looking at calenders which depict the British landscape shot through a set of photographic filters.

Horrible tape quality
Receival was prompt, but the tape quality was absolutely abysmal! Totally black screen, run lines up and down the picture. I had to throw the tape away, what a waste of money.

Land Girls Forever
This film is brilliant. Anna Friel is excellent, very funny and plays her part really well. Each of the characters are so very likeable. There are quite a lot of funny scenes in it but also some real heart breaking stuff (i cried one minute and laughed the next!), which i feel portrays the ups and downs of the second world war extremely well.
It is a gentle and emotional film and the countryside scenery is breathtaking . If you like good old fashioned English films, you will find this very entertaining.