''Ryan's Daughter'' is a 1970 British
epic
Epic commonly refers to:
* Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation
* Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale
Epic(s) ...
romantic drama
Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
film directed by
David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...
and written by
Robert Bolt. Loosely inspired by
Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert ( , ; ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. He has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country and abroad. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flaubert, realis ...
's 1857 novel ''
Madame Bovary
''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' (; ), commonly known as simply ''Madame Bovary'', is the début novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond he ...
'', the film stars
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...
and
Sarah Miles as a married Irish couple whose lives are upended when the wife begins an affair with a British officer during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Set in a remote coastal village in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
between August 1917 and January 1918, the film explores themes of love, betrayal, and political unrest amid rising nationalist tensions. The supporting cast includes
John Mills,
Christopher Jones,
Trevor Howard
Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third M ...
, and
Leo McKern
Reginald "Leo" McKern (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002) was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. His notable roles include Clang in ...
.
The film was released theatrically in 1970 and was photographed in
Super Panavision 70 by cinematographer
Freddie Young
Frederick A. Young (9 October 1902 – 1 December 1998) was an English cinematographer. Sometimes credited as F. A. Young, his career in motion picture photography spanned more than 130 films across nearly 70 years, between 1919 and 1984. He wa ...
, with a score composed by
Maurice Jarre. Although met with largely negative reviews from critics upon its initial release, it emerged as a commercial success, grossing nearly $31 million against a production budget of $13.3 million, making it the
eighth-highest grossing film of the year.
[Hall, S. and Neale, S. ''Epics, spectacles, and blockbusters: a Hollywood history'' (p. 181). Wayne State University Press, Detroit; 2010; . Retrieved 25 March 2011.]
''Ryan's Daughter'' received four nominations at the
43rd Academy Awards and won in two categories –
Best Supporting Actor for Mills and
Best Cinematography for Young.
Plot
In August 1917, Rosy Ryan, the only daughter of pub owner Thomas Ryan, grows restless in the quiet Irish village of Kirrary on the
Dingle Peninsula in
County Kerry
County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...
. The village is strongly nationalist, hostile to the British soldiers stationed nearby. Although Thomas outwardly supports Irish independence, he secretly acts as an informer for the British. Rosy, yearning for excitement, becomes romantically involved with the village schoolteacher, widower Charles Shaughnessy. Despite his warnings that he cannot offer her a passionate life, they marry and move into the schoolhouse, where his emotional reserve and lack of physical affection disappoint her.
Major Randolph Doryan, a decorated British officer suffering from shell shock and a leg injury sustained in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, arrives to take command of the local army camp. When he collapses in the pub during a flashback, Rosy comforts him. This sparks a passionate affair between the two, which begins in earnest during a secluded ride to the forest. Charles grows suspicious but remains silent.
While taking his students to the beach, Charles notices two sets of footprints—Doryan's and a woman's—leading to a nearby cave. He imagines Rosy and the Major together, confirming his suspicions. The footprints are also seen by Michael, a mentally disabled villager, who enters the cave and finds Doryan's
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
. Michael parades through the village with the medal, attracting ridicule. Rosy, disturbed by the scene, approaches him compassionately, unintentionally revealing her involvement. The villagers, piecing the events together, begin to suspect Rosy's infidelity.
One stormy night in January 1918,
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; ) was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland between 1858 and 1924.McGee, p. 15. Its counterpart in the United States ...
(IRB) member Tim O'Leary and his men arrive in the village seeking help in recovering a shipment of German arms. After assisting them, Thomas Ryan secretly alerts the British authorities. The villagers, including Ryan himself, join in the recovery effort, unaware of his betrayal. As the villagers celebrate their success in freeing the truck carrying the weapons, British troops led by Doryan ambush the group. Doryan fatally shoots O'Leary before collapsing from another flashback. Rosy rushes to his side, further enraging the townspeople.
Later, Charles confronts Rosy, admitting that he had hoped her affair would pass but now wishes to separate. Rosy insists it is over, yet that night she visits Doryan once more. Charles, disheartened, wanders to the beach and is found by the local priest, Father Collins. Meanwhile, a mob led by Mr. McCardle storms the schoolhouse, seizes Rosy, and publicly humiliates her, accusing her of betraying the arms operation. Thomas Ryan watches in silent remorse as they cut off her hair, stopping only when Father Collins intervenes.
The next morning, Doryan encounters Michael on the beach and gifts him a cigarette case. In gratitude, Michael shows him a hidden cache of
dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
. Left alone, Doryan uses the explosives to commit suicide. Later, Charles and Rosy leave the village for Dublin. As Father Collins and Michael accompany them to the bus, the priest tells Charles that his only remaining doubt mirrors Charles's own: whether he and Rosy should remain together.
Cast
Production
Development
''Ryan's Daughter'' began as screenwriter
Robert Bolt's adaptation of
Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert ( , ; ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. He has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country and abroad. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flaubert, realis ...
's 1857 novel ''
Madame Bovary
''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' (; ), commonly known as simply ''Madame Bovary'', is the début novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond he ...
'', with the intention of casting his wife,
Sarah Miles, in the lead role. The script retained the novel's central narrative: a romantic young woman trapped in an unfulfilling marriage who seeks passion through extramarital affairs. Director David Lean, who had previously collaborated with Bolt on ''
Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962) and ''
Doctor Zhivago'' (1965), was initially uninterested in the French setting and period. According to later accounts, Lean told Bolt he found the story "uninteresting," but proposed reworking its emotional themes in a different context.
Lean and Bolt subsequently reimagined the story within a politically charged Irish setting during the final year of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The revised screenplay retained the structural parallels to Flaubert's novel: Rosy Ryan became an analogue to Emma Bovary; Charles Shaughnessy mirrored the reserved and uninspiring husband Charles Bovary; and Major Randolph Doryan embodied aspects of both Rodolphe and Léon, Emma's lovers. Relocating the narrative to a coastal village in
County Kerry
County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...
during the aftermath of the
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...
allowed Bolt to incorporate themes of colonial tension, repression, and nationalism, which added further dimension to Rosy's personal transgressions.
The reworked setting also aligned with Lean's visual sensibilities, allowing for elaborate location shooting and atmospheric cinematography. The combination of Bolt's focus on morally conflicted individuals and Lean's emphasis on sweeping visual storytelling shaped the tone and scale of the project. Despite early enthusiasm, the production was later affected by tensions and creative difficulties. It marked the final collaboration between Lean and Bolt; the partnership ended when Bolt suffered a major stroke shortly before the film's release in 1970, significantly limiting his ability to work thereafter.
Casting
The role of Father Collins was initially written for
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...
, a frequent collaborator of director
David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...
. However, Guinness declined the part, citing concerns over the portrayal of a Catholic priest and lingering tensions from their previous collaboration on ''
Doctor Zhivago'' (1965).
Trevor Howard
Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third M ...
was subsequently cast in the role.
For the character of Charles Shaughnessy, Lean's first choice was
Paul Scofield
David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work. Scofield ...
, who had to decline due to prior theatrical commitments. Other actors considered included
George C. Scott,
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
, and
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor of film, television, and theatre. Born in New York City to Irish parents, he was raised in Ireland and England. He began his career in England during t ...
, though none were formally approached.
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...
expressed interest but withdrew after
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...
was offered the role.
Mitchum was initially hesitant to accept the role, reportedly due to personal issues. When pressed by Lean, he disclosed that he was contemplating suicide. Screenwriter
Robert Bolt, upon hearing this, encouraged Mitchum to complete the film first, even offering to cover his burial expenses if he still felt the same afterward.
The role of Major Randolph Doryan was originally intended for
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia'' , who accepted but later withdrew due to scheduling conflicts with the film ''
Burn!
''Burn!'' (original title: ''Queimada'', Spanish and Portuguese for "Burnt" or "Burned") is a 1969 historical war drama film directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. Set in the mid-19th century, the film stars Marlon Brando as a British ''agent provoca ...
'' (1969). Lean then cast American actor
Christopher Jones after seeing his performance in ''
The Looking Glass War'' (1969), believing Jones possessed a
James Dean
James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...
-like quality suitable for the role.
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
for ''Ryan's Daughter'' commenced in the spring of 1969 on the
Dingle Peninsula in
County Kerry
County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. The region's rugged coastline and remote villages provided an authentic backdrop for the film's
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
-era setting. However, persistent inclement weather posed significant challenges, particularly for the pivotal storm sequence. Director
David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...
waited nearly a year for suitable storm conditions to film this scene. To protect the camera lens from sea spray during the shoot, cinematographer
Freddie Young
Frederick A. Young (9 October 1902 – 1 December 1998) was an English cinematographer. Sometimes credited as F. A. Young, his career in motion picture photography spanned more than 130 films across nearly 70 years, between 1919 and 1984. He wa ...
employed a
Clear view screen—a rotating glass disk mounted in front of the lens to keep it clear of moisture.
Due to ongoing weather issues in Ireland, the production relocated to
Arniston, South Africa, to film several beach scenes. The area's distinctive white sand beaches are visibly different from Ireland's darker shores. The dramatic final scene, where Major Doryan commits suicide using explosives, was filmed at the site of the ''Kakapo'' shipwreck on Noordhoek Beach, just south of
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
.
The production faced numerous difficulties, leading to a schedule overrun of more than 185 days.
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...
, who played Charles Shaughnessy, reportedly clashed with Lean over the director's meticulous approach, likening the experience to "constructing the
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
out of toothpicks." Despite the tensions, Mitchum later expressed that he considered his role in ''Ryan's Daughter'' among his best performances.
Christopher Jones, cast as Major Randolph Doryan, also experienced challenges during production. He claimed to have had an affair with actress
Sharon Tate shortly before her murder by the
Manson Family
The Manson Family (known among its members as the Family) was a Intentional community, commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of a ...
, an event that deeply affected him. Jones's relationship with co-star
Sarah Miles deteriorated, leading to difficulties during the filming of their love scenes. According to some accounts, Miles and Mitchum conspired to secretly administer a sedative to Jones to facilitate the filming of an intimate scene, resulting in Jones appearing nearly catatonic during the shoot.
Jones's performance was further complicated by his inability to convincingly adopt a British accent. Consequently, director Lean decided to have all of Jones's lines overdubbed by actor
Julian Holloway in post-production. The negative reception of his performance contributed to Jones's decision to retire from acting shortly after the film's release.
Release
MPAA Rating
The
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...
(MPAA) initially assigned ''Ryan's Daughter'' an "R" rating, citing a nude scene between Sarah Miles and Christopher Jones and the film's thematic focus on infidelity as the primary reasons. At the time,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
(MGM) was experiencing financial difficulties and appealed the rating, not on artistic grounds but for commercial viability.
During the appeal, MGM executives argued that a less restrictive rating was essential to ensure broader audience access and box office viability. The MPAA board granted the appeal, and the film was reclassified with a "GP" rating, a designation that was later renamed "PG".
Jack Valenti
Jack Joseph Valenti (September 5, 1921 – April 26, 2007) was an American political advisor and lobbyist who served as a Special Assistant to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was also the longtime president of the Motion Picture Association ...
, then-president of the MPAA, later referred to this reclassification as one of the "tarnishing marks" on the credibility of the rating system. In 1996, when the film was resubmitted to the MPAA, it was re-rated "R".
In Australia and New Zealand, ''Ryan's Daughter'' was originally classified PG, but the rating was later revised to M.
Reception
Box office
''Ryan's Daughter'' opened at the
Ziegfeld Theatre in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
on 9 November 1970, earning $50,050 in its first week. Within two months of release, the film had grossed over $2 million worldwide. It performed moderately well internationally and became one of the highest-grossing films of 1970 in the United Kingdom, where it ran continuously at a
West End cinema for nearly two years.
Critical reception
Upon release, ''Ryan's Daughter'' received a largely negative response from critics, many of whom expressed disappointment given director
David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...
's prior acclaim. On the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, ''Ryan's Daughter'' holds an approval rating of 47% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
awarded the film two out of four stars, remarking that although the characters were "well written and well acted," they were ultimately "dwarfed by
ean'sexcessive scale."
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' dismissed the screenplay as "the kind of book-club fiction that should be read under a hair-dryer," and criticized the film's elaborate production and metaphysical style. Arthur D. Murphy of
''Variety'' described it as "a brilliant enigma," praising its ambition but noting that the excessive length diluted the impact of both the performances and
Robert Bolt's screenplay.
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert.
Siskel started writing for the '' ...
of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' gave it one-and-a-half stars out of four, citing "poor casting," "heavy-handed direction," and "empty-headed characters."
Charles Champlin
Charles Davenport Champlin (March 23, 1926 – November 16, 2014) was an American film critic and writer.
Life and career
Champlin was born in Hammondsport, New York. He attended high school in Camden, New York, working as a columnist for the ...
of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' found the central love story too "frail and banal" to support the film's 198-minute runtime.
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael often defied the conse ...
of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' wrote that there was "no artistic or moral rationale" for the film, describing its overall effect as empty.
James Wolcott
James Wolcott (born December 10, 1952) is an American journalist, known for his critique of contemporary media. Wolcott is the cultural critic for ''Vanity Fair magazine, Vanity Fair'' and contributes to ''The New Yorker''. He had his own blo ...
later recounted that at a
National Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2024, ...
gathering, ''
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' critic
Richard Schickel
Richard Warren Schickel (February 10, 1933 – February 18, 2017) was an American film historian, journalist, author, documentarian, and film and literary critic. He was a film critic for ''Time'' from 1965–2010, and also wrote for '' ...
bluntly asked Lean how he could follow ''
Brief Encounter
''Brief Encounter'' is a 1945 British Romance film#Romantic drama, romantic drama film directed by David Lean from a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his 1936 one-act play ''Still Life (play), Still Life''. The film stars Celia Johnson and ...
'' (1945) with "a piece of bullshit like ''Ryan's Daughter''." Some retrospective assessments have attributed the negative reception to heightened expectations following Lean's earlier epics. The film's original cut exceeded 220 minutes and was criticized for pacing, prompting Lean to remove approximately 17 minutes prior to general release. Although Lean took the criticism personally and claimed he would not direct again, some historians suggest that subsequent unrealized projects were the result of production difficulties rather than creative reluctance.
The film was also criticised for its depiction of Irish villagers. In a 2008 commentary, one Irish writer described the townspeople as "herd-like and libidinous," lacking meaningful employment. Others viewed the film as diminishing the legacy of the 1916
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...
and the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...
, particularly as it coincided with the beginning of
The Troubles
The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
.
Retrospective reviews have continued to view ''Ryan's Daughter'' less favorably than Lean's earlier work. ''Variety'' referred to it as "overlong," ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' described it as "a weary ''
Madame Bovary
''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' (; ), commonly known as simply ''Madame Bovary'', is the début novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond he ...
'' rehash," and Ebert later called it "a lush and overblown self-indulgence in which
David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...
has given us a great deal less than meets the eye."
John Mills' performance as the mentally challenged character, which earned him the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in ...
, has drawn ambivalence in later years. A 2020 review of ''Making Ryan's Daughter: The Myths, Madness and Mastery'' in ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' characterized both the production and the film as "a fascinating but ultimately indulgent and doomed enterprise."
Accolades
Others
The film is recognized by
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
in these lists:
* 2005:
AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – Nominated
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
*
''Ryan's Daughter'' at AllMovie*
British Film Institute on Ryan's Daughter
{{Authority control
1970 films
1970 romantic drama films
1970s English-language films
1970s historical drama films
British epic films
British historical drama films
British romantic drama films
Easter Rising
Films about the Irish Republican Army
Films based on Madame Bovary
Films directed by David Lean
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award–winning performance
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance
Films produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan
Films scored by Maurice Jarre
Films set in 1917
Films set in Ireland
Films set on beaches
Films set on the United Kingdom home front during World War I
Films shot in County Kerry
Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award
Films with screenplays by Robert Bolt
Historical epic films
Romantic epic films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
1970s British films
English-language historical drama films
Films about disability
English-language romantic drama films