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Ryan's Daughter - Special Edition [1970]


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Yes I see why it got panned, but this movie is a joy to watch
Review date: 2008-02-05 Rating: 10 out of 10

Sometimes you can be critical of a work and still be immensely fond of it, and Ryan's daughter is one such film for me. I see exactly why this got a critical mauling on its release, the trouble is, the more I watch it, the more I love it. For all its faults: the way it really lays it on thick, for being fairly patronising in its depiction of the Irish, its naive attempt to acknowledge a worthy cause, (made during the return of 'the troubles', it really did look like this British director of largescale movies about struggles of the oppressed against large empires was cocking his hat to the Irish nationalist cause) this romantic epic really feels like a romance, and is just captivating to watch, however slow moving it is. The atmosphere is perfectly created by its rural setting, its period feel, and the simplicity of the story, and Lean's magnificent photographer has another field day, especially with the coastal scenes. The memorable score does even more for this movie than Dr.Zhivago's more famous music did for that film.

I like to think that some of those critics back then have changed their minds about this film, for however much fault you find with the rather unsubtle story and the inclusion of that infamous character played by John Mills, I defy real film lovers not to find immense charm in this picture. The cast is also fabulous, despite the noticable lack of Irishness in them. With a couple of them, the accents do waiver terribly, notably Foster and Miles, but Miles otherwise plays it spot on, with her airy idealism and flightiness a great contrast to her mismatched husband, the rock like Robert Mitchum who probably steals the show from all of them, Mills included. Would the critics really have wanted such a watchable, cosy sort of film not to have been made at all?! No, if you believe in a project with that much heart then you'll be happy to risk losing a touch of crediblity for giving the populace the sort of thing they want. Well done Lean and co.

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Reviews


A curate's egg on an epic scale
Review date: 2007-12-12 Rating: 8 out of 10

Another curate's egg from Lean, but redeemed by one of Robert Mitchum's greatest ever performances, bravely cast against type as the gentle Irish schoolteacher who becomes the village joke when his young wife takes up with a shell-shocked British officer. Ignored at the time for the showier attractions of Mills' village idiot (a role Norman Wisdom desperately wanted), it's a remarkably intelligent and subtly observed character study that holds far more appeal than Sarah Miles' title role. As always, Lean reserves the real talent (Mills, Trevor Howard, Leo McKern) for the sidelines and comes up with one of his blandest leads in the shape of Peter O'Toole lookalike and future recluse Christopher Jones (dubbed here by Julian Holloway) while the force of history is reduced to background for a simple love story.

Maurice Jarre's score is something of a liability, but overall this is still the best of the director's post-Lawrence films and certainly not fully deserving of the critical slating that led to his 17-year absence from the screen. There is still a very real sense of the cinematic, with both colour and the widescreen ratio exploited to the full, something the increasingly TV-conscious director refused to even attempt with the surprisingly poor A Passage to India.

Although much impact is lost in the step down from 70mm to TV screen - particularly during the vivid storm sequence - the widescreen DVD makes it seem like a different and much better film if you've only ever seen it panned-and-scanned before. With some excellent extras, it's a fine presentation.

A revelation
Review date: 2007-06-30 Rating: 10 out of 10

The first time I saw this film (soon after it came out) was unforgettable: because it was the first time I had experienced what a profound emotional impact a forcefully romantic and exciting film could have.
Sarah Miles as Rosy Ryan was tremblingly fragile and beautiful - and tragically romantic. Her husband, the much older school master, was bound to disappoint her.
Trevor Howard as the stern priest fails to chide her back down to earth as she dreams of something more, a dream lover out there for her perhaps. He appears in her father's pub as the equally fragile and beautiful Major Droyan. The scene where the shell-shocked British officer takes refuge in her arms is as exquisitely romantic as it can be, after the perfectly timed bang-bang-banging of the crippled Michael's foot brings back the memories of shells bursting around the battlefield. Michael thinks he has found a special friend because the Major limps just as he does.
The lovers tear the jealous husband's heart apart with wild imaginings as they continue with their trysts. Rosy, seduced by her masterful lover in the woods, where they both arrive on horseback, finally finds fulfilment. Her clothes are a costume department triumph, a tiny waist, a scarf that is wound off from around her neck, and a very soft top concealing but revealing, with a row of buttons down the front...
The storm scene of furious pounding waves where the villagers fight to salvage the arms shipment, is incredibly powerful. Huge breakers crash in and Tim O'Leary, the handsome and charismatic revolutionary, inspires the loyalty of the locals. But cowardly Ryan the publican, Rosy's father, fears for his own skin.
Rosy pays the price for the envy she has always aroused for being different to the others. They make her the scapegoat although she is innocent of any crime - other than adultery. Her lover is unable to help and takes his own way out of his mental turmoil, on the beach at sunset. Rosy accepts defeat and passively forgives her father and even Michael for their part in her humiliation. She leaves with her husband, and even the priest finds it in his heart to find some understanding for what she has been through.
Such strong emotions run through this film - passion, struggle and loss - the horror of war and the peace of finding love.
Two Oscars were awarded, to John Mills as Best Actor in a supporting role; and for best cinematography. But altogether there were another 8 wins and another 19 nominations. All well deserved indeed.

A Timeless Classic
Review date: 2007-02-22 Rating: 10 out of 10

Being a fan of david lean i have waited quite a while to see this movie waiting endlessly for it to be on the tv which it never was to my knowledge i got the Dvd and was very excited about watching it becuase i love all David Leans movies and i thought to myself The Bridge on the River Kwai,Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago were all masterpieces and classics of cinema Ryans Daughter must be another one and do you know what? It sure was i was blown away by this movie a simple story of love and lust with an epic background to it it was heavly panned by the critics when it hit cinemas in 1970 so becuase of about 12 critics this film got a bad name and is the reason why it took David Lean 14 years till he made his next picture "A Passage to India".
Set in Ireland in 1916 this films shows you the stroy of Rosey Ryan who is married to her former School teacher and who falls in love with a british soldjear Randolph Doyran.
There is some of the best cinemaotograpy in this movie and John Mills plays a great villiage idiot who is mute but can see everything that is going on this role won him an Oscar in 1971 for best supporting actor.
The picture is crystal clear and has been restored with a digital transfer.
This film has trmendous sound which you get from the 5.1 surround sound.
The sound is crystal Clear aswell.
There is quite a few special features commentary from david leans wife sarah miles and others who where involved with the movie and 1 new 35th aniversary documentry and 2 vintage features and 2 thearatic trailers all in all
BRILLIANT.

Sublime epic
Review date: 2006-08-16 Rating: 10 out of 10

I cannot rate this film highly enough....fair enough you do need to have some romanticism in your vains but this is film making at the highest level. It took Lean around 12 months to shoot this and he took no prisoners...some hollywood execs came over to try and get him to get a move on!....Lean was having none of it, and they left him to it. One of the best scenes ever is towards the end of the film when the British officer is about to end his life...check the varying degrees of sunset, filmed to perfection with no shortcuts, and the shot of the film, (only a few seconds long) is his cigarette tin on the sand with the lid moving slightly on the breeze with the sun reflecting on it....Only a director of Leans calibre could pull it off....take a bow to one of Britains finest!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Barry Foster
Trevor Howard
Sarah Miles
Robert Mitchum
Christopher Jones

Creators:
Robert Mitchum (Primary Contributor)
Trevor Howard (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321900561136
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2006-02-13
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 186 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1970
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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