Ryan's Daughter (DVD)

== RYAN'S DAUGHTER ==

=== DIRECTED BY DAVID LEAN ===


"To suggest sex and leave it to the audience is much more erotic than showing it all. Sex is imagination." David Lean


=== INTRODUCTION ===


Here I go again, not a REALLY old classic, but a classic in my mind and another David Lean masterpiece. No one else put images and sound together in quite ...
...2006 documentary, "The Making of Ryan's Daughter" divided into three chapters, as well as a couple of production shorts made at the time of filming.

DVD Features:

Audio Commentary:Commentary by: Lady Sandra Lean, Sarah Miles, Trine Mitchum (Robert Mitchum?s Daughter), Assistant Director Michael Stevenson, Second Unit Director Roy Stevens, Art Director Roy Walker, Assistant Editor Tony Lawson, Location Manager ... more

RYAN'S DAUGHTER

DIRECTED BY DAVID LEAN

"To suggest sex and leave it to the audience is much more erotic than showing it all. Sex is imagination." David Lean

INTRODUCTION

Here I go again, not a REALLY old classic, but a classic in my mind and another David Lean masterpiece. No one else put images and sound together in quite the way Sir David Lean did;

I could NEVER understand why, in 1970 (Ok so it is nearly 40 years old!!) this film was slated so much. The critics hated it, and the public stayed away in their droves making it a box office flop. Lean was so devastated that he didn't direct another film for 14 years.

They called this film "Lean's Folly." Well, they were wrong, very wrong and the release on DVD will show everyone just how beautiful this film was.

This film with a Robert Bolt screenplay, directed by David Lean, filmed by Freddie Jones and with an incredible score by Maurice Jarre and a host of fantastic actors could be nothing but pure class - and in my opinion did not disappoint.

I was one of the cinema goers who DID go to see the film, and was engrossed by the sheer beauty of the filming. Ok the film doesn't have a huge plot but the the filming made up for it - there were so many unforgettable moments in the film, so cleverly filmed by Freddie Young.

The screenplay of "Ryan's Daughter" was written by Robert Bolt, who also did Lean's "Dr Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia." And was also married to Sarah Miles.

The film is basically a wonderful, but tragic love story(based vaguely on Madame Bovary)that is set on the rocky, west sea coast of Ireland in 1916. As well as telling of love it is also about the tight Irish community, religion, tradition, youth, discovery, want, war and betrayal.

THE STORY

Rosy Ryan (Sarah Miles) is a spoiled young woman and daughter of the local pub owner - Ryan(Leo McKern).
She wants more from life and seeks and subsequently convinces Charles Shaughnessy, the nice, dull, middle-aged village schoolmaster (Robert Mitchum), to marry her. Rosie thinks that because of his age and experience that he will bring with him a great passion, but she finds out otherwise on their wedding night. He is a man who seems to prefer to press wildflowers than the physical love of his wife.
Rosy went to her village priest Father Collins (Trevor Howard) and insists that there must be more to marriage than what she can find in hers.
'Why must there be? Because Rosy Ryan wants it?' he roars at her.

Rosie dreams of fictional heroes and she meets one when the new commander of the British occupation force, a beautiful, lame major Randolph Doryan (Christopher Jones), is posted to Ireland after being wounded on the Western Front.

With the knowledge of the opposition of the Irish toward British occupation it is no surprise that the village people turn against Rosie when she develops an emotional and sexual relationship with the young British officer

Meanwhile, a band of Irish rebels led by Tim O'Leary are intent on salvaging a shipment of German arms to use on the unwelcome British occupiers. The two plot strands combine, and tragic consequences arise.

Is it Rosy who betrays the rebels to the British?
Will Shaughnessy take Father Collin's advice?

CAST

Sarah Miles as Rosy Ryan
Robert Mitchum as Charles Shaughnessy
Trevor Howard as Father Hugh Collins
John Mills as Michael
Christopher Jones as Major Randolph Doryan
Leo McKern as Tom Ryan
Barry Foster as Tim O'Leary
Gerald Sim as Captain Smith
Evin Crowley as Moureen Cassidy
Marie Kean as Mrs. McCardle
Arthur O'Sullivan as Joe McCardle
Brian O'Higgins as Constable O'Connor

The performances of this glittering cast are breathtaking.

Sarah Miles was always going to play Rosy, Robert Bolt created the role with his wife in mind. Although she was twenty-five years old at the time playing someone much younger; she plays a character that is transformed by the experiences it undergoes.
Her character was played believably and well and she certainly looked stunning.

Robert Mitchum delivered a fantastic performance, that was completely against type. This American tough guy, who was still a sex symbol to many women at the time, did a fantastic job as the quiet Irish schoolmaster who didn't know how to please a woman sexually, but stood nobly by his wife after her adultery. He also did a good job of the Irish accent.

When Mitchum arrived in Ireland he told waiting reporters,

'Dunnowhy I'm playing an Irish schoolteacher. For a fraction of what they're paying me, they could have a real one.'

Christopher Jones was another actor cast against type as a shell-shocked British soldier stationed in Ireland.
His character, I felt, was the worst in the film .The part was totally wrong for him. Not only was he uncomfortable in the love scenes, but he could not master a British accent, and all of his dialogue was post-dubbed by another actor (Julian Hollaway.). Although Jones had brooding good looks, his acting was simply not up to the demands of a script that demanded a sophisticated performer.

Trevor Howard as the village priest contributes his finest ever performance. With a wild-eyed look about him he passionately brings some morality into the story.

Leo McKern as Ryan plays the role with splendour and emotion.
A heavily made up John Mills plays the mute village idiot Michael It is reported that Norman Wisdom was desperate to play this role.
He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor , to acknowledge the fact that he played the part of a mute in the film, Sir John Mills - in his acceptance speech, bowed without saying a word, making this the shortest acceptance speech on record.

AWARDS

Despite the 'failure' of the film in 1970 it did manage to win two Oscars and get two nominations.
Academy Awards

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (John Mills)
Best Cinematography (Freddie Young)

Also Nominated for

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sarah Miles)
Best Sound

FILMING

Lean is of course one of the great technicians of the film industry.
In most of his films there are certain shots that are and extraordinarily well choreographed -- like the blowing up of the bridge in "River Kwai," the capture of the train in "Lawrence of Arabia" and the beginning of the Russian Revolution in "Dr. Zhivago." "Ryan's Daughter" is no exception.
I think that this can be best seen in the storm sequence, when the town bands together to get the boxes of artillery. Maurice Jarre's haunting theme plays constantly through out.
Or the memorable scene where Shaunessy follows the footprints across the vast sands of Slea head.I suspect, though, that the scene most people will remember most vividly though is Rosy's sexual awakening.
Lean goes all out in making the lovemaking scenes between Rosy and Doryan explosive, first in the pub amid Doryan's harrowing flashbacks of exploding bombs But none more so than as Doryan.makes love to Rosy in a magical forest, dandelions lose their seeds, the sun peers through the leaves to make a sign of the cross, and the trees themselves go through a little series of euphoric shudders as Rosy experiences her first ever orgasm.
Lean chose the Irish coastline for its combination of picturesque beaches and rugged mountains dropping vertically to the sea. The rough and wild coast is beautifully photographed in Lean's sweeping style.
The whole film was jam packed full of stylish imagery, forceful imagery and skilful counterpoint.

THE DVD

The DVD that I am reviewing is the 2006 Special Edition.
As the film runs for three hours and fifteen minutes it is spread across two discs separated by an intermission.
The picture quality is excellent and the sound even better. The commentary track has several participants who take turns commenting on the scenes. DVD producer Laurent Bouzereau introduces each speaker, and the differing viewpoints are quite interesting.
Disc 2 has a solid, hour-long 2006 documentary, "The Making of Ryan's Daughter" divided into three chapters, as well as a couple of production shorts made at the time of filming.

DVD Features:

Audio Commentary:Commentary by: Lady Sandra Lean, Sarah Miles, Trine Mitchum (Robert Mitchum?s Daughter), Assistant Director Michael Stevenson, Second Unit Director Roy Stevens, Art Director Roy Walker, Assistant Editor Tony Lawson, Location Manager Eddie Fowlie, Stuntman Vic Armstrong, Biographer Stephen M. Silverman, Directors John Boorman, Hugh Hudson and Richard Schickel
Theatrical Trailer
Documentaries:Vintage Documentaries: Ryan?s Daughter: A Story of Love; Film Night: We?re the Last of the Traveling Circuses
Documentary:The Making of Ryan?s Daughter (A 4-Part 35th-Anniversary Documentary): Storm Rising, Storm Chaser, Storm Catcher, The Eye of the Storm

Format: PAL, Widescreen
Language English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Region: Region 2)
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Number of discs: 2
Classification: 15
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: 13 Feb 2006
Run Time: 186 minutes

WHAT DID I THINK

I have never been able to understand why this film was so unpopular.
Perhaps it came after such great Lean films, people didn't think it measured up, I just don't know - In 1970 I loved it and now almost forty years on the film on DVD is still just as wonderful.

There is one part in the film ( I will just say the match- those who have seen the film will know what I mean) where I jump every time, but stays in my memory.

I found the acting ( apart from Doryan) incredible, the scenery astonishing, the music memorable and the filming out of this world.
I acknowledge that the plot is slight for a film that lasts three hours, but in telling his story Lean has provided a delight that could hardly be improved upon.

Summary: I would give it 10/5 stars if I could!!
 

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