Ryan's Daughter

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Ryan's Daughter
Image:Ryans daughter.jpg
Directed by	David Lean
Produced by	Anthony Havelock-Allan
Written by	Robert Bolt
Starring	Robert Mitchum Sarah Miles John Mills Christopher Jones
Distributed by	MGM Pictures
Release date(s)	9 November, 1970 (premiere)
Running time	195 min.
Language	English
Budget	$15,000,000
IMDb profile

Ryan's Daughter is David Lean's 1970 film which tells the story of an Irish girl who has an affair with a British soldier during World War I, despite opposition from her nationalist neighbours.

The film stars Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, John Mills, Christopher Jones and Leo McKern, with a music score by Maurice Jarre. It was photographed in Super Panavision 70 by Freddie Young.

1 Critical reception
2 Awards
- 2.1 Academy Awards
3 Trivia
4 Other Sources
- 4.1 DVD Reviews

[edit] Critical reception

The film received a very hostile reception by the critical community upon its initial release, feeling that the characters were "dwarfed by [Lean's] excessive scale."[1] Many attribute the bad reviews to critics' expectations being too high as Lean had directed three epic blockbusters in a row prior to making Ryan's Daughter. The bad reaction to this film is what many say caused Lean not to make a film for more than ten years. (Others dispute this, citing the fact that Lean tried but was unable to get several projects off the ground, most notably The Bounty.) The film was moderately successful worldwide at the box office.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Academy Awards

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (John Mills)
Best Cinematography (Freddie Young)

Also Nominated for

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sarah Miles)
Best Sound

[edit] Trivia

John Mills played a mute in the film. For his Oscar acceptance speech, he bowed without saying a word, making this the shortest acceptance speech on record.

Ryan's Daughter was the last feature film photographed entirely in the 65 mm widescreen format until Far and Away (1992).

Alec Guinness turned down the role of Father Collins.

Paul Scofield was Lean's first choice for the part of Shaughnessy, but he was unable to escape a theater commitment.

Marlon Brando was considered for the role of the Major, but Lean saw Christopher Jones in The Looking Glass War (1969) and decided he had to have Jones for the part. However, Lean was dissatisfied with Jones' performance, and he had to be dubbed by Julian Hollaway.

Lean had to wait a year before a suitably dramatic storm appeared. The image was kept clear by a glass disk spinning in front of the lens.

Leo McKern was injured and badly shaken up while filming the storm sequence. Afterwards he claimed he would never work in film again, and did not act in films for several years.

Due to bad weather, many of the beach scenes were actually filmed in South Africa.

[edit] Other Sources

[edit] DVD Reviews

Review by Glenn Erickson at DVD Savant a part of DVD Talk

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David Lean
1940s	In Which We Serve (with Noel Coward) \| This Happy Breed \| Blithe Spirit \| Brief Encounter \| Great Expectations \| Oliver Twist \| The Passionate Friends
1950s	Madeline \| The Sound Barrier \| Hobson's Choice \| Summertime \| The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960s	Lawrence of Arabia \| Doctor Zhivago
1970s	Ryan's Daughter
1980s	A Passage to India
Television	Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor (1979)