Ryan's Daughter

( 11 )

Overview

The logic behind inflating Robert Bolt's minimalist romantic drama Ryan's Daughter into a 12-million-dollar epic seems to have been "When David Lean directs, it's a super-spectacular." Sarah Miles who at the time was married to Robert Bolt stars as Rosy, the daughter of Irish pub keeper Tom Ryan Leo McKern. Married to tweedy, sexless schoolmaster Charles Shaughnessy Robert Mitchum, restless Rosy has an affair with British officer Randolph Doryan Christopher Jones. When village idiot Michael an Oscar-winning turn ...
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Overview

The logic behind inflating Robert Bolt's minimalist romantic drama Ryan's Daughter into a 12-million-dollar epic seems to have been "When David Lean directs, it's a super-spectacular." Sarah Miles who at the time was married to Robert Bolt stars as Rosy, the daughter of Irish pub keeper Tom Ryan Leo McKern. Married to tweedy, sexless schoolmaster Charles Shaughnessy Robert Mitchum, restless Rosy has an affair with British officer Randolph Doryan Christopher Jones. When village idiot Michael an Oscar-winning turn by John Mills innocently uncovers evidence of Rosy's indiscretion, the local gossips begin wagging their tongues. Shaughnessy chooses to remain above the scandal, assuming that Rosy will come to her senses. Later, Rosy's father informs on a group of IRA insurgents, hoping to keep the peace in his village. The locals assume that Rosy, still enamored of Doryan, is the informer, and exact a humiliating punishment. Realizing that his very presence has caused disgrace for Rosy, Doryan kills himself. For Rosy and Shaughnessy, life goes on...not happily ever after, just ever after. The film was lensed on location in Ireland by frequent Lean collaborator Freddie Young.
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
David Lean's melancholy 1970 romance never achieved the reputation enjoyed by the director's epic dramas, Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago among them. And as critic Richard Schickel points out in one of this disc's featurettes, the attacks by reviewers were "immediate and ferocious." Therefore, Ryan's Daughter, featuring Robert Mitchum and Sarah Miles in a tale of adultery set against the backdrop of the 1916 Irish Rebellion, seems an unlikely candidate for the deluxe treatment it has been accorded in this remarkably comprehensive special edition. An oddly cast but surprisingly effective Mitchum plays a stolid schoolmaster whose younger, beautiful wife Miles carries on a passionate but illicit relationship with a British officer Christopher Jones in command of the troops occupying her small village. When word of the affair leaks out, the wife is branded an adulterer and accused of being an informer as well. What really makes this special edition worth having are the various supplemental features. Digitally remastered from original 65mm film elements and audio-enhanced to 5.1 specifications, the film is accompanied by nearly 90 minutes of new documentary material in the form of three featurettes written, produced, and directed by Laurent Bouzereau. Miles makes significant on-camera contributions to these, as does Lean's biographer Stephen M. Silverman and a host of others, including Mitchum's daughter Petrine and the director's widow, Sandra. Lean and screenwriter Robert Bolt are represented in footage originally shot for a Barry Brown-produced BBC documentary on the film, "The Last of the Traveling Circuses," which is itself included on the bonus disc along with a six-minute "production trailer" narrated by Gregory Peck. The commentary track boasts 13 participants, each of them introduced prior to making his or her contribution; distinguished directors John Boorman and Hugh Hudson are among those heard. It's taken 35 years, but Ryan's Daughter has finally gotten the respect some thought it deserved all along.
All Movie Guide - Craig Butler
Ryan's Daughter is one of those films that cries out to be seen on the big screen (and the bigger the better). Director David Lean was right criticized for blowing Robert Bolt's tender little love story way out of proportion, foisting an epic filmmaking style on a tale that is too slight to sustain it. This decision certainly damages the film; but at the same time, no one could do "epic" better than Lean, and so the large trappings that he brought to the film have a strength of their own that is almost independent of the movie -- and that strength is best viewed in a theater rather than at home. Still, whatever the venue, audiences can still appreciate the gorgeous work of cinematographer Freddie Young, whose wind-swept vistas and dark, roiling skies create a drama of their own. Lean has used Young to create a work in which nature is as much a character as any person, and Young does not let Lean down. Unfortunately, the other characters are not treated as sensitively by Lean, who also does not devote enough attention to the specifics of the essential love story. As a result, the film is both overlong and overwrought, but insufficiently developed. The cast is a bit of mixed bag. Robert Mitchum is cast against type, but his performance is sluggish and a bit dull. Sarah Miles is good in the title role, but not quite a commanding enough presence as is called for. John Mills takes advantage of the showy role to turn in an Oscar performance, and there's also fine work from Trevor Howard, but Christopher Jones is -- his looks aside -- a big mistake. Ryan's Daughter is tremendously uneven, but its virtues finally offset its sins enough to make it worth watching.
New York Times - Dave Kehr
Watching Warner Home Video's new edition of David Lean's "Ryan's Daughter" is almost enough to make you believe that high-definition DVD has arrived ahead of schedule... this is simply one of the most spectacular video presentations I have ever encountered.

Watching Warner Home Video's new edition of David Lean's "Ryan's Daughter" is almost enough to make you believe that high-definition DVD has arrived ahead of schedule... this is simply one of the most spectacular video presentations I have ever encountered.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 3/4/1997
  • UPC: 027616611338
  • Original Release: 1970

    • Rating:

  • Source: Mgm (Warner)
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Robert Mitchum Charles Shaughnessy
Trevor Howard Father Collins
Sarah Miles Rosy
Christopher Jones Randolph Droyan
John Mills Michael
Leo McKern Tom Ryan
Barry Foster Tim O'Leary
Owen O'Sullivan Peter
Marie Kean Mrs. McCardle
Evin Crowley Moureen
Barry Jackson Corporal
Douglas Sheldon Driver
Ed O'Callaghan Bernard
Philip O'Flynn Paddy
Niall O'Brien Joseph
Niall Toibin O'Keefe
Emmet Bergin Sean
May Cluskey Storekeeper
Des Keogh Lanky Private
Pat Layde Policeman
Brian O'Higgins Constable O'Connor
Archie O'Sullivan McCardle
Gerald Sim Captain
Technical Credits
David Lean Director
Robert Bolt Screenwriter
John Bramall Sound/Sound Designer
Denys Coop Cinematographer
Michael Curb Songwriter
Mack David Songwriter
Stephen B. Grimes Production Designer
Anthony Havelock-Allan Producer
Bob Huke Cinematographer
Maurice Jarre Score Composer, Songwriter, Musical Direction/Supervision
Josie MacAvin Set Decoration/Design
Charles Parker Makeup
Jocelyn Rickards Costumes/Costume Designer
Norman Savage Editor
Roy Stevens Associate Producer
Michael Stevenson Asst. Director
Pedro Vidal Asst. Director
Roy Walker Art Director
Freddie Young Cinematographer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 11 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(9)

4 Star

(2)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

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1 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 11 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    DAVID LEAN'S "INTIMATE" IRISH EPIC

    Yes, it's David Lean at his most self-indulgent, but RYAN'S DAUGHTER contains so much that is superb that the movie's flaws (and there are many) fall, if not by the wayside, then temporarily into cinematographer Freddie young's gorgeous seascapes. It is only after viewing the film that plot inconsistencies and character motivations become somewhat suspect. The movie was savaged by many critics upon its initial release (probably the worst reviewed film of Lean's distinguished career) mostly because all the time and expense in making it produced what seemed to appear as an inconsequential tale buried under the trappings of a costly production with a running time of 192 minutes. The story of a lustful irish lass who idolizes her former school teacher, a middle-aged widower (superbly played by Robert Mitchum), marries him and then goes on to have an affair with the newly appointed commander of the local British garrison would make for an interesting two hour movie at the most. RYAN'S DAUGHTER lasts nearly as long as DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and the film's dramatic impact is compromised by it's killer length. Nevertheless, if this movie is a failure, it is a grand one. Steeped in romanticism, well acted, brilliantly photographed and scored and last but not least directed by David Lean with his own signature view of the world, RYAN'S DAUGHTER is some kind of ersatz classic: not the 24 carat success Lean hoped it would be but still a testament to his incredible directorial skills.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 1, 2004

    WONDERFUL MOVIE!!!!

    Should be on DVD!!!!! Why isn't it????

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 18, 2003

    A much maligned masterpiece

    'Ryan's Daughter', a film to be seen ONLY on a giant wide screen, may have suffered so much negative reaction from critics because they were expecting another 'cast-of-thousands' super-spectacle similar to previous David Lean efforts. The film is actually a much more intimate sort of drama. The 'spectacular' elements are the glorious scenic and meteorological visuals that form the backdrop for this moving tale. Why this gem is not available on a widescreen DVD is a sad little mystery. Serious home-theater buffs are in for a great treat if it ever comes out in this format!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 17, 2003

    A Classic over looked by the critics

    Spectacular photography in the David Lean tradition. The story is compelling and timeless. Needs to be reformatted into DVD to appreciate the greatness of this movie over looked by the ctitics. I rate it as David Lean's masterpiece.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 11, 2003

    Glorious Masterpiece

    Why can't we have this incredible film on DVD?????? It seems to be the kind of film that DVD and surround sound was invented for! Can you imagine the storm and the music in surround sound???? Please??????????????

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 4, 2003

    Release Ryan's Daughter on DVD!

    Awesome movie; large in scope yes, but in an old world intimate way. Needs to be released on DVD. Best non-computer generated storm on film.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 19, 2002

    Heartwrenching passionate movie

    This is a thought provoking movie that studies the pychology of human nature.It has beautiful scenery, a phenomenal cast, and a fabulous story of passion, desire, and love in the midst of political turmoil. I've seen it a dozen times and still find something new in it each time. Sara Miles is wonderful as the confused young woman.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 19, 2002

    ignored masterpiece

    critics hated Lean because of his genius and old-fashioned romanticism

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 8, 2001

    My Favorite Movie Ever

    My headline states it all. This is an extremely intriguing movie of beautiful landscapes, passion and romance with an edge, war-time period, and humanity and the problems there-in. I saw this when it first came out in the early 70s, and it still remains my favorite.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 9, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 30, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 11 Customer Reviews