Product: Ryan's Daughter (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2006)
Rating: 5.0
David Lean, Master of the Epic form
I remember seeing this when it first came out. It was quite amazing, and one must commend the great David Lean for taking a relatively simple story and giving it legitimate epic stature. Oscar-winning cinematography and a glorious score by Lean regular, Maurice Jarre, add to the magnificence. The never nominated Sir John Mills won a most deserved Oscar; indeed, I didn't know it was him until the final credits rolled. Sarah Miles also received her only nomination, in a complex performance that is nothing short of perfection. After reading other reviews, no one mentioned the great Robert Mitchum who, pressured to get married, realizes that his young bride would soon be bored by his sexual impotence. He's probably the least concerned when her infidelity is brought to light. The beautiful Christopher Jones certainly made a mark; too bad he gave up on a film career. And I agree with a previous reviewer that Lean's "A Passage to India" was sorely neglected. Everyone praises "Kwai", "Lawrence" & "Zhivago", but I find I've watched "Passage" much more than those others. "Ryan's Daughter" was also nominated for "Best Sound". Indeed, the turbulence of the Irish coast is almost a character unto itself. I'm very pleased that this film is coming out on a 2-disc DVD. I only wish I had a big-screen TV, but I'm also pleased that I had the opportunity to see it on the big screen, where its power blew me away. UPDATE, 11-8-08: Watched it again, and loved it as much