Following the success of Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, director David Lean delivered Ryan’s Daughter, a mammoth production without the plot or thrills to fill it out. The screenplay by frequent Lean collaborator Robert Bolt is little more than a clumsy love triangle with a runtime of nearly three-and-a-half hours. As one would expect this film is gorgeous—photographed in Super Panavision 70mm and Metrocolor by cinematographer Freddie Young offers countless picturesque vistas—but beauty doesn’t make up for several significant shortcomings, including Christopher Jones’ less than compelling performance.
Set in rural Ireland during World War I, the story follows Rosy Ryan (Sarah Miles), the daughter of Thomas (Leo McKern), the small town of Kirrary’s pub owner. A naive romantic, Rosy marries the much older widowed schoolteacher Charles Shaughnessy (Mitchum), believing it will bring excitement to her life. However, Charles’ life of quiet evenings listening to classical music and pressing flowers—combined with his lackluster skills in bed—leave young Rosy longing for romance.
Confused and dissatisfied, Rosy meets Major Randolph Doryan (Christopher Jones), the new commandant of British forces occupying Kirrary. A good-looking young man scarred by the mental and physical wounds of war, the two begin a torrid affair. Unsurprisingly, given that everyone in Kirrary is British hating Irish Catholics, Rosy soon finds herself shunned as a tramp and a traitor.
The harsh reception to Ryan’s Daughter by many critics is wildly regarded as the reason the notoriously thin-skinned David Lean didn’t make another film until 1984’s A Passage to India. Known for the epic scale of his films, Lean missteps here, as Ryan’s Daughter would have benefited from a smaller scope. Instead of presenting an intimate love story, Ryan’s Daughter is dragged down by an awkward subplot concerning IRA gunrunners.
Compounding the mistakes is the casting of Christopher Jones as the shell-shocked Major Doryan. In the role originally written for Marlon Brando, Jones lacks essential charisma. His acting skills were so deficient that Lean limited his screen time and his lines, finally hiring British actor Julian Holloway to dub all of Jones’ dialogue.
Save for Robert Mitchum’s dodgy Irish accent, he delivers a wonderfully understated performance as the loving, betrayed Charles, proving what an underrated actor he was. Sarah Miles (who was married to screenwriter Robert Bolt), is excellent as well, exemplifying Rosy’s naiveté. Upon release, much of the praise went to John Mills, who scored an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, playing Michael, a mentally challenged man who serves as a connecting device to the events in the story well deserved, the films second Oscar Freddie Young for Best Cinematography, who effectively captures both Ireland’s epic beauty and the innate dreariness of small-town life.
While not among David Lean’s best work, Ryan’s Daughter is well worth a look for his most devoted fans.
Warner Archive has delivered a new 4K HDR master struck from 8K scans of the original 65mm camera negative. The result is fantastic. For a movie that won an Oscar for Best Cinematography, this transfer is a revelation. Presented in the proper 2.20:1 aspect ratio, the green Irish cliffs, and a stunning storm sequence are enough to warrant an upgrade. Any age-related issues have been removed without affecting the high level of fine detail. A nice level of fine grain gives things a filmic appearance. Colors are vivid throughout, and blacks are inky. Just a note, Warner Archive has split the film across two BD-100 discs, with Part One on the first disc, and Part Two on the second disc, giving the encode room to breathe. I dare say that much like Warner Archive’s recent 4K release of Out of the Past, this image is reference quality.
The audio quality is just as impressive, be it the new DTS-HD 5.1 remix or the restored DTS-HD MA 5.0 track that duplicates the original 1970 theatrical 70mm audio. Purists will likely prefer DTS-HD MA 5.0 track, while others will prefer the DTS-HD 5.1 track, which offers more involvement on the low end. Both tracks are free of hiccups or other anomalies, and offer clean, clear, and concise dialogue throughout.
English SDH subtitles are available.
The extras are the same as those found on the 2006 Special Edition DVD release:
- Audio commentary for Parts One and Two featuring Lady Sandra Lean, Sarah Miles, Petrine Day Mitchum, Michael Stevenson, Roy Stevens, Roy Walker, Tony Lawson, Eddie Fowlie, Vic Armstrong, Stephen M. Silverman, John Boorman, Hugh Hudson and Richard Schickel, moderated by Laurent Bouzereau.
- The Making of Ryan’s Daughter, a three-part documentary: “Rising Storm” (27:47), “Storm Chaser” (20:56) and “Eye of the Storm” (14:12)
- “We’re the Last of the Traveling Circuses” (20:03) A vintage behind-the-scenes documentary.
- “Ryan’s Daughter: A Story of Love” (6:16)
- Announcement trailer (2:22)
- Theatrical trailer (2:56)
- A booklet that replicates the film’s original pressbook.
