The Return of the Soldier is a 2014 British drama film directed by Lisa Gornick, based on the 1918 novel of the same name by Rebecca West. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Dominic Cooper, Imelda Staunton, and Julie Christie.
The story revolves around Chris Baldry, a soldier returning from World War I suffering from amnesia. He has lost his memories of the last fifteen years, reverting emotionally to a time before his marriage to Kitty and when he was still in love with his childhood sweetheart, Margaret. Kitty, his wife, and Margaret, the working-class woman he loved before, are forced to confront their past and present relationships with Chris in order to try and restore his memory, a process that exposes their own vulnerabilities and the devastating impact of war.
The film explores themes of memory, trauma, class, gender roles, and the psychological effects of World War I on individuals and relationships. It is a period drama that attempts to capture the emotional complexities of West's novel within a cinematic context.