Product: Ryan's Daughter (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2006)
Rating: 4.0
Good, but not great
After his hit successes with "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago" David Lean apparently felt that he could handle any epic of any style. This original work shows that he may have overdone it. An adulterous love affair with a dashing British officer in Ireland during WWI is the core of this film, similar to what we saw in "Zhivago". The rugged coastline and its people reflect what we saw in "Lawrence". However the photography is simply gorgeous and ravishingingly beautiful. The best performance is no doubt Sir John Mills as the village dummy who can't speak but understands the human events that swirl around him without reason, deservedly winning him an Oscar for this film, as did the photography. Attractive and appealing, but not of the same heights or nature as with Lean's earlier creations. Novel adaptations seem to work better in his favor.