My thoughts on Ryan's Daughter (1970) can be summed up by one word, betrayal. Betrayal plays a big part in the screenplay but it can also be applied to the treatment of this film upon release in 1970 I suppose.
The film, all three hours, twenty or so is set on the western coast of Ireland, still under British rule in 1917. British soldiers occupy the island like glorified police amongst a backdrop of Repulican sentiment from the indigenous population, here a small village on the coast.
We are introduced to several characters amongst them Rosy Ryan who meets the local schoolteacher, Charles Shaughnessy and they marry.
Rosy is the daughter of the village publican, Tom Ryan. However Rosy becomes bored of married life and fmhas a love affair with a recently deployed British soldier who is a hero from his exploits in The Great War that have left him with a wooden leg and shellshock.
The story becomes drawn out at times but well filmed with sweeping camera shots by Freddie Young and an excellent score by Maurice Jarre. Director, David Lean follows the path of his previous three films in entering epic territory.
Shaughnessy has well founded suspicions of the affair and after the intermission it all comes to light. A secondary plot line of activity by the IRB and the alleged tipping off to the British of the coastal weapons smuggling is brought to the fore. Another betrayal is revealed which I am loathe to spoil.
The cast, Trevor Howard as the village Priest, Robert Mitchum as Shaughnessy and John Mills as an annoying yet likeable village idiot character, Michael are all excellent as are the supporting cast.
Now the betrayal that also sprung to my mind was the critical mauling this film received on release. So much so that it lead to a 14 year absence of David Lean from film making.
True it perhaps could have been further edited. Apparently cuts were already made. I had reservations about watching the film because of its large running time. However I urge all cinephiles who love Ireland, film stories that are engrossing and the back catalogue of Lean and the cast to check it out. I found it worth the effort and it gets a positive from me, not that I'm worthy!
The film, all three hours, twenty or so is set on the western coast of Ireland, still under British rule in 1917. British soldiers occupy the island like glorified police amongst a backdrop of Repulican sentiment from the indigenous population, here a small village on the coast.
We are introduced to several characters amongst them Rosy Ryan who meets the local schoolteacher, Charles Shaughnessy and they marry.
Rosy is the daughter of the village publican, Tom Ryan. However Rosy becomes bored of married life and fmhas a love affair with a recently deployed British soldier who is a hero from his exploits in The Great War that have left him with a wooden leg and shellshock.
The story becomes drawn out at times but well filmed with sweeping camera shots by Freddie Young and an excellent score by Maurice Jarre. Director, David Lean follows the path of his previous three films in entering epic territory.
Shaughnessy has well founded suspicions of the affair and after the intermission it all comes to light. A secondary plot line of activity by the IRB and the alleged tipping off to the British of the coastal weapons smuggling is brought to the fore. Another betrayal is revealed which I am loathe to spoil.
The cast, Trevor Howard as the village Priest, Robert Mitchum as Shaughnessy and John Mills as an annoying yet likeable village idiot character, Michael are all excellent as are the supporting cast.
Now the betrayal that also sprung to my mind was the critical mauling this film received on release. So much so that it lead to a 14 year absence of David Lean from film making.
True it perhaps could have been further edited. Apparently cuts were already made. I had reservations about watching the film because of its large running time. However I urge all cinephiles who love Ireland, film stories that are engrossing and the back catalogue of Lean and the cast to check it out. I found it worth the effort and it gets a positive from me, not that I'm worthy!