While it’s not Lean’s best film, Ryan’s Daughter
It is an odd film. It’s basically a romance novel filmed with the full blast of Lean’s epic vision. The rugged, beautiful landscape certainly lends itself to the sweep of Lean’s eye, but sometimes the scale of the drama comes off as a little overwrought (and in the case of the storm sequence- slightly ridiculous.)
Also, the prime elements of the plot could fit comfortably intot he running time of a one-act play, but yet the film stretches out to nearly 4 hours. That might work for something as grand as Lawrence of Arabia, but here it seems like a stretch.
Still, I’d recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of the Travel Channel and have a good TV. I spent some time in that area of Ireland last year and Lean brings it to life in a big way. It’s a gorgeous country and it really shines in this film.
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