The film follows the life of a family from 1919 to 1939 as they live in this house during the course of these two decades amidst many social, cultural, and political changes that would affect this family in this small suburban home. It is a film that follows the life of this family in a former World War I veteran just a year after the war had ended as he moves his family to suburbia as one of his neighbors is another former soldier from the same war. The film’s screenplay is largely straightforward in exploring the life of Frank and Ethel Gibbons (Robert Newton and Celia Johnson, respectively) as well as their children in Vi (Eileen Erskine), Reg (John Blythe), and the youngest daughter Queenie (Kay Walsh), Ethel’s mother Mrs. Flint (Amy Veness), and Frank’s sister Sylvia (Alison Legatt) where they all share this small yet quaint home. Their neighbor across the street from them in Frank’s old friend Bob Mitchell (Stanley Holloway) and his son Billy (John Mills) who is a sailor that often pines for Queenie.
During the course of the film through its narrative, Frank and Ethel would endure a lot of what is happening around them as Reg befriends the socialist Sam Leadbitter (Guy Verney) who would get Reg into trouble during the General Strike of 1926 while Frank and Bob both volunteered during that strike. During the course of the film, Reg and Queenie would try to follow the trends and issues of the time with Frank preferring to stay away while Vi would settle into a family life. Reg would also get married but Queenie would rebel against her family’s ideals for something of her own as the family would deal with new things such as technology in the wireless radio, talking films, and other things as they would also witness events around them that would change Britain just before the start of World War II.
David Lean’s direction does have bits of style but much of it is intimate where a lot of the action takes place inside the Gibbons house with a few scenes set outside of the house. While there are a few wide shots in the film that include an opening and closing shot that reflects the area where the Gibbons live in with un-credited open narration by Laurence Olivier for the opening scene. Lean’s usage of medium shots and close-ups do play into a lot of the drama as many of the house interiors from the first shot of the house from the inside and the last one do make this home a major character in the film. From the dining and tea room where the characters frequent through changing times as well as listening to the wireless radio. Lean also keep things simple when it comes to shooting a conversation as there’s a lot of dialogue that is spoken that often play into the reaction of the times or wanting to be part of this new world unaware that war will be coming. The film also has elements of tragedy during a scene where everything that is being told is shown off-screen where Lean focuses more on the contents on the tea room since the audience knows what these characters are going to discover.
Lean also uses some of these historical events as a backdrop in the film as it play into how the Gibbons’ react such as the trends of the time as well as world events that would play into World War II. Notably in a few scenes involving Bob and Frank as they get drunk while discussing the future as they do become hopeful only to be concerned in the later years with Frank reacting badly to Neville Chamberlain’s trip to Munich and how the people have responded. Even as the characters get older and wiser though a few get lost in trends and such to get them disconnected with reality only to be grounded by their role in the family. Overall, Lean crafts a majestic and compelling film about the life of a family living in suburban London between the periods of two World Wars.
Cinematographer Ronald Neame does incredible work with the film’s luscious Technicolor photography as it adds a lot to the film’s visuals in the many exteriors in the daytime as well some unique lighting for some of the interiors including scenes at night. Editor Jack Harris does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward but also has bits of style while also using fade-to-black to help structure certain scenes to transition from one period to another period. Art director C.P. Newman does amazing work with the look of the house and its many interiors as well as the backyard with the small garden that Frank tends to as the rooms and their evolution in the span of 20 years do add a lot to the visuals but also in helping to tell a story of this house.
Makeup artist Tony Sforzini and hair dresser Vivienne Walker do fantastic work with the look of the characters such as Frank, Ethel, Sylvia, and Bob and how they grew into older people in the coming years without doing too much makeup. The sound work of John Cook, Desmond Dew, and C.C. Stevens is superb for the way things sound outside of a house or how small sounds are presented inside the house. The film’s music by Muir Matheson is wonderful for its serene orchestral score that has some upbeat pieces but also somber bits to play into the drama as it also feature additional music from Clifton Parker and the music from those 20 years in the film.
The film’s marvelous casting feature some notable small roles from Merle Tottenham as the Gibbons’ maid Edie, Betty Fleetwood as a neighbor girl named Phyllis that Reg would marry, Guy Verney as Reg’s socialist friend Sam Leadbitter who would have feelings for Vi, John Blythe as Frank and Ethel’s son Reg as a young man who is eager to be part of the new world but also learn that he has to take the values of the old world to keep him grounded, Eileen Erskine as Frank and Ethel’s eldest daughter Vi who is just trying to find her own identity yet is someone who has a lot more respect to her parents values than her siblings, and Amy Veness as Ethel’s mother Mrs. Flint who often deals with health issues and often argues with Sylvia over trivial things. Alison Leggatt is fantastic as Frank’s sister Sylvia who often talks about many things and follows many trends where she gets into arguments with Mrs. Flint and the annoy the family with her ideas on spiritualism. Kay Walsh is excellent as Frank and Ethel’s youngest child Queenie as a young woman who rebels against her parents’ value while falling for a married man despite an offer from Billy who offers her a better life.
John Mills is brilliant as Billy as Bob’s son who is a sailor and a kind man that has feelings for Queenie despite being away at sea often as he is also someone that has a lot to offer to Queenie as well as be someone who respects Frank and Ethel. Stanley Holloway is amazing as Bob Mitchell as a former World War I soldier who lives across the street from the Gibbons’ home as he fought with Frank as the two deal with changing times but also hoping to maintain some values in the hope of a better future for their children. Celia Johnson is incredible as Ethel Gibbons as the matriarch of the family who deals with a lot of the drama in her family while maintaining the household despite some of Queenie’s actions that would hurt Ethel. Finally, there’s Robert Newton in a phenomenal performance as Frank Gibbons as a World War I veteran who is trying to start a new life in a new home with his family as he deals with changing attitudes and ideals as he tries to maintain his values while watching everything from afar.
This Happy Breed is a sensational film from David Lean. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a sumptuous music score, and its exploration of a family’s life during a period of peace between two world wars. The film is an engaging drama with light touches that explore the dynamics of a family living in suburban London in a time when war wasn’t looming. In the end, This Happy Breed is a phenomenal film from David Lean.
David Lean Films: In Which We Serve - Blithe Spirit - Brief Encounter - Great Expectations (1946 film) - Oliver Twist (1948 film) - The Passionate Friends - Madeleine (1950 film) - The Sound Barrier - Hobson's Choice - Summertime (1955 film) – The Bridge on the River Kwai - Lawrence of Arabia - Doctor Zhivago - Ryan's Daughter - (Lost and Found: The Story of Cook’s Anchor) – A Passage to India - (The Auteurs #74: David Lean)
© thevoid99 2022
Based on the novel by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations is the story of a boy’s encounter with a convict that would eventually lead to his development upon meeting an eccentric rich spinster whose adopted daughter he falls for and later pursues as an adult. Directed by David Lean and screenplay by Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Cecil McGivern, Ronald Neame, and Kay Walsh, the film is an adaptation of one of Dickens’ acclaimed novels as it explores a man trying to find himself but also cope with his need to be with a person who treats him with indifference. Starring John Mills, Anthony Wagner, Jean Simmons, Valerie Hobson, Alec Guinness, Martita Hunt, Bernard Miles, and Finlay Currie. Great Expectations is a rich and evocative film from David Lean.
The film follows the journey of a young boy from a humble and poor background whose encounter with an escaped convict would lead to unexpected fortunes where he would become a gentleman and be given opportunities that others would never have while pursuing a young woman whom he had been in love with since he was a boy. It’s a film that follows the journey of this boy who would become a man as he would find himself in situations that would play into his development as well as cope with the changes he would endure. The film’s screenplay is largely told from the film’s perspective of its protagonist Pip (John Mills) as he recalls his journey as a boy (Anthony Wagner) who was living with his sister (Freda Jackson) and her blacksmith husband Joe Gargery (Bernard Miles). Visiting his the grave of his parents, he would encounter this convict (Finlay Currie) who threatens him unless Pip brings food, drink, and a file for his chains as the young Pip would do so.
It’s this act of kindness to the convict that would mark the start of good fortune for Pip who would be asked by an acquaintance of the reclusive Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt) to be a playmate for her adopted daughter Estella (Jean Simmons) who isn’t fond of Pip. Even as Pip has to endure her cruelty though Miss Havisham does find him to be fascinating as she sees that Pip has the potential to be so much more. By the time Pip grows into a man where he would be Joe’s apprentice, the film would show Pip getting some unexpected fortunes as he believes that Miss Havisham is his benefactor. Moving to London, Pip would learn how to be a gentleman with the help of Herbert Pocket (Alec Guinness) and Miss Havisham’s lawyer Mr. Jaggers (Francis L. Sullivan) as he would cope in how to behave and act like a gentleman and fit in to society. Yet, he would also pursue the adult Estella (Valerie Hobson) who would treat him coldly as Pip would learn why she is the way she is as it all goes back to Miss Havisham who would cope with the way she raised Estella.
David Lean’s direction does have elements of style in the compositions in some scenes yet much of the film is presented in a straightforward fashion. Shot on location at Denham Film Studios in Buckhamshire, the film play into two different worlds such as the rural beachside landscape that Pip lives with his sister and Joe where Miss Havisham’s estate is also located at and London where the adult Joe would live and work at with Pocket. Lean’s usage of the wide shots would capture the location as well as the world the older Pip is in as it relates to the dance halls with Estella as it also play into this sense of detachment from Estella who has other interests. Lean’s usage of close-ups and medium shots play into the despair that Pip would endure in his pursuit of Estella as well as these stylistic slanted shots in how Pip and Miss Havisham would engage each other in a scene.
Lean’s direction also play into this element of dramatic suspense as it relates to the identity of Pip’s benefactor as well as other revelations about Miss Havisham’s past and Estella herself. Much of Lean’s direction would have these moments that are surreal but also chilling as it relates to some of the things in Pip’s past as a child where Lean would provide subtle hints in the imagery. The estate of Miss Havisham does have elements of horror in its look yet it more represents this metaphorical sense of Miss Havisham’s sense of loss and the reasons she would give Estella this world that is cold and unforgiving. All of which forces Pip to make sense of everything as well as provide a sense of hope through simple acts of kindness in a world that is often very cruel. Overall, Lean crafts a riveting and intoxicating film about a boy’s journey into a gentleman and his pursuit towards a woman who filled with uncertainty and a cold demeanor.
Cinematographer Guy Green, with opening sequence by Robert Krasker, does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography to capture the look of the landscape as well as the array of natural lighting for many of the interiors in Miss Havisham’s estate as well as some scenes set at night. Editor Jack Harris does excellent work with the editing as it play into the drama and suspense as well as some stylish montages to play into Pip’s growth in becoming a gentleman. Production designer Jack Bryan, with set decorator Erik Blakemore and art director Wilfred Shingleton, does fantastic work with the look of the sets including Miss Havisham’s home and the apartment he would share with Pocket.
Costume designer Sophie Devine does amazing work with the costumes from the look of the suits that the men wore during the 19th Century to the dresses including the ones that Estella wore. Sound editor Winston Ryder does terrific work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sound of winds and the oceans for a key scene in the third act. The film’s music by Walter Goehr is superb for its sumptuous orchestral score that play into the drama and some of the film’s lighter moments as well as the suspenseful moments with its heavy strings and percussions.
The casting by Pat MacConnell, Adele Raymond, and Maude Spector do wonderful work with the casting as it include notable small roles from O.B. Clarence as Mr. Wemmick’s father, Torin Thatcher as a gentleman Estella is pursuing, Ivor Barnard as a man who helps Pip in a plan late in the film in Mr. Wemmick, Eileen Erskine as Joe’s new lover Biddy whom Pip is fond of, Freda Jackson as Joe’s first wife/Pip’s sister, John Forrest as a young version of Pocket that the young Pip meets at Miss Havisham’s home, and Francis L. Sullivan in a terrific performance as Miss Havisham’s lawyer Mr. Jaggers who would take Pip in for work as well as tell some things about Miss Havisham and Estella late in the film. Bernard Miles is superb as Joe Gargery as a blacksmith who is married to Pip’s sister in the first act as he is a father figure of sorts to Pip as well as someone who is willing to support him no matter how out of sorts he is with the rest of the world.
Alec Guinness is fantastic as Herbert Pocket as Pip’s co-worker who would help him in the ways of being a gentleman as well as informing Pip about what happened to Miss Havisham in her early life Anthony Wager is excellent as the young Pip who would deal with his encounter with the convict as well as young Estella’s cruelty where he would end up being fascinated by her. Jean Simmons is brilliant as the young Estella as a young girl who is quite cruel yet is intrigued by Pip for not giving into her insults while having desires to be a lady. Finlay Currie is amazing as the mysterious convict the young Pip meets early in the film as he would threaten him for food and a file to break away from his chains as he is touched by Pip’s kindness where he would later get him out of trouble as he would also appear in the film’s third act.
Martita Hunt is remarkable as Miss Havisham as an old woman who lives in a decayed estate that invites Pip to be her adopted daughter’s playmate as she is fascinated by the young boy but also deals with a sense of heartbreak as it represents her loss and sense of disappointment with the world. Valerie Hobson is incredible as Estella as a woman who is eager to make it into society yet would treat Pip as a prop rather than a person in her pursuit to be a bigger deal in society. Finally, there’s John Mills in a marvelous performance as older Pip as a man who is given a chance to be a gentleman as well as be part of society only to deal with some of the things that happen which makes him uneasy as well as his pursuit of Estella whom he sees as someone that is need to be loved.
Great Expectations is a phenomenal film from David Lean. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a compelling script that is faithful to the Dickens novel, and a sumptuous music score. It’s a film that bear a lot of what is expected from Dickens with visual ideas from Lean that makes the film a top-notch adaptation. In the end, Great Expectations is a sensational film from David Lean.
Related: Great Expectations (1998 film) - (The Auteurs #74: David Lean)
David Lean Films: In Which We Serve - This Happy Breed – Blithe Spirit - Brief Encounter - Oliver Twist (1948 film) – The Passionate Friends - Madeleine (1950 film) – The Sound Barrier - Hobson's Choice - Summertime (1955 film) – The Bridge on the River Kwai - Lawrence of Arabia - Doctor Zhivago - Ryan's Daughter - (Lost and Found: The Story of Cook’s Anchor) – A Passage to India
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Noel Coward and David Lean and written, starring, and music score by Coward, In Which We Serve is the story of Royal Naval sailors fighting in World War II as deal with their role in the war as they fight the Germans. The film is a dramatization of the exploits of Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten who would fight the Germans during a campaign in Crete in which his destroyer had sank during the campaign. Also starring John Mills, Bernard Miles, Celia Johnson, and Richard Attenborough. In Which We Serve is a riveting and evocative film from Noel Coward and David Lean.
The film follows the life of naval crew whose destroyer is being attacked by German air forces as they think about their lives at home as well as their lives working on this ship they love. It’s a film that explores men who are dealing with survival as they also reflect on their lives at home as much of it takes place on a lifeboat where a captain and other survivors think about home and the events that lead to the situation they’re in. Noel Coward’s screenplay takes a back-and-forth narrative of Captain E.V. Kinross (Noel Coward) and his crew trying to survive as well as looking back into their own lives at home as well as their life on the destroyer known as the HMS Torrin. Much of the film is told through flashbacks of not just the life that Captain Kinross has but also some of his officers and crew members including sailors who had families to go home to. Notably Chief Petty Officer Hardy (Bernard Miles) and Seaman Blake (John Mills) who would both endure changes into their own lives at home.
Coward’s direction mainly focuses on a lot of the film’s dramatic moments as well as many scenes not set during the conflict as he aims for something simpler in the compositions with a few stylish touches. Shot largely at the Denham Studios in Denham with a few exteriors shot in nearby locations, much of Coward’s direction would have a few wide shots of the locations but mainly focuses on close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama. Notably the lives of Captain Kinross, Hardy, and Blake as well as a few others including their respective spouses/lovers where Coward’s direction has elements of theatricality in its framing and long takes but does manage to establish what is going on and who these characters are.
Much of the film’s action scenes are helmed by David Lean who would use a lot of wide shots and some stock footage to play into the battle as a way to showcase the intensity of these battles. Even in the scenes on the lifeboat where the survivors have to evade the firepower from enemy planes with the wounded on the boats. Coward and Lean would still provide moments that play into what is at stake as well as the need to survive and watch their beloved ship in its final moments. Overall, Coward and Lean create a gripping and compelling film about the life of a British destroyer’s captain and his crew as they try to survive against the Germans.
Cinematographer Ronald Neame does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography as it play into the beauty of some of the locations outside of the studio the scenes in the sea with its usage of lights for the scenes in the day and night along with its interiors. Editor Thelma Myers, with additional work from David Lean, does excellent work with the editing in its usage of stylish transitional dissolves as well as some rhythmic cuts for some of the film’s action scenes. Art director David Rawnsley does amazing work with the look of the interiors of the destroyer as well as the shipyard and the homes of some of the characters.
The special effects work of Douglas Woolsey is fantastic for the usage of miniatures in some of the action scenes whenever the ships are destroyed as well as a few visual tricks in some of the transitions. Sound recordist C.C. Stevens does terrific work with the sound in capturing the sound of bombs during the blitz sequence as well as the sound of gunfire in some of the action scenes. The film’s music by David Lean, with contributions from Clifton Parker, is wonderful for its usage of orchestral string arrangements with elements of percussion bombast and military cadences to play into the drama and action throughout the film.
The casting by Irene Howard is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Daniel Massey and Ann Stephens as Captain Kinross’ children, George Carney and Kathleen Harrison as Blake's parents, Richard Attenborough as a young seaman who enters an empty bar following the Dunkirk evacuation, and Michael Wilding as a sailor named Flags. Kay Walsh is fantastic as Blake’s girlfriend/future wife Freda as a woman he meets on a train as they become a couple as she worries about what will happen to him. Joyce Carey is wonderful as Hardy’s wife Kath as a woman that knows what her husband is dealing with as she befriends Freda and helps her deal with being a sailor’s wife. Celia Johnson is brilliant as Alix Kinross as Captain Kinross’ wife who deals with the same issues as the other spouses as she is this picture of grace as someone who is trying keep her family together and know what to expect if things go wrong.
John Mills is excellent as Seaman Shorty Blake as a sailor who is dealing with a new love as well as the expectations of becoming a father while dealing with his role as a sailor as he does whatever he can to help his fellow sailors and officers. Bernard Miles is amazing as Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy as an officer who is a second-in-command of sorts for Captain Kinross as well as be someone who is a friend of the sailors including Blake whom he offers advice to about marriage. Finally, there’s Noel Coward in a remarkable performance as Captain E.V. Kinross as the captain of the HMS Torrin who is trying to run things as well as be someone a group of sailors and officers can count on while being a good father and husband to his family as he knows the struggle he has in being away from them.
In Which We Serve is an incredible film from Noel Coward and David Lean. Featuring some dazzling visuals, an inventive screenplay, a great cast, and some amazing action sequences. It’s a war film that maybe a propaganda film for its time but it is still a riveting film that explore how important the need to fight for the good of the world. In the end, In Which We Serve is a marvelous film from Noel Coward and David Lean.
David Lean Films: This Happy Breed – Blithe Spirit - Brief Encounter - Great Expectations (1946 film) – Oliver Twist (1948 film) – The Passionate Friends - Madeleine (1950 film) – The Sound Barrier - Hobson's Choice - Summertime (1955 film) – The Bridge on the River Kwai - Lawrence of Arabia - Doctor Zhivago - Ryan's Daughter - (Lost and Found: The Story of Cook’s Anchor) – A Passage to India - (The Auteurs #74: David Lean)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the play by Harold Brighouse, Hobson’s Choice is the story of a boot shop owner in Victorian England who copes with his eldest daughter’s decision to live her own life and marry his boot smith. Directed by David Lean and screenplay by Lean, Wynyard Browne, and Norman Spencer, the film is an exploration of a man coping with changes as he tries to maintain his own ideas while his daughters would rebel against the old rules. Starring Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie, Daphne Anderson, Prunella Scales, Richard Wattis, Derek Blomfield, and John Mills. Hobson’s Choice is a riveting and delightful film from David Lean.
Set in the late 1800s at Lancashire, the film revolves a boot shop owner whose life is about to change when his eldest daughter decides to marry his best boot smith and start her own business after hearing that she is considered too old to be married. It’s a film that play into this man who is quite pompous and often quite selfish as he pays more attention in going to a pub to drink rather than give his daughters the freedom to make something of themselves. Even as his best boot smith is feeling unappreciated for his work when a posh customer commends his work but still gets underpaid. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the ideals of Henry Hobson (Charles Laughton) but also someone that wants to operate everything from his business to his life at home a certain way. Even as he wants his two youngest daughters to be married but with men of his choice rather than their own choice while his eldest daughter Maggie (Brenda De Banzie) is thirty-years-old as he think she’s too old to get married and would rather have her run the business and household which she’s good at.
When Maggie hears what her father has said about her to his friends at the local pub, she realizes that she has to do something for her own independence where she forces her father’s best boot smith in Willie Mossop (John Mills) to marry him and take part in a partnership where he would make the boots and she would sell them and run the business. It’s a move that shocks her father who tries to move on without her but both Alice (Daphne Anderson) and Vicky (Prunella Scales) have a hard time trying to run the household and the business. One of the unique aspects of the script is the developing relationship between Maggie and Willie where even though it’s the former that is doing all of the decision-making. It’s Willie who would become much smarter and more confident as he starts off as someone with little ambition but through Maggie’s patience in educating him and learning bits about the business.
Willie would come into his own while Maggie finds an equal in her life which would inspire Alice and Vicky to find men that they want to marry in their own terms. It’s something that Hobson would struggle with but also his own negligence towards his daughters and the fact that he’s an alcoholic. Hobson is a very unique character who is either oblivious in his selfishness or stubborn in his refusal to accept the changes around him. Especially at one point where he goes to the pub because the dinner Alice and Vicky made for him wasn’t satisfactory to his liking as it would play into the fact that times are changing and all of his bad vices and behaviors is catching up with him.
David Lean’s direction is definitely mesmerizing not just for its sense of theatricality since much of the film is shot in soundstages with some of it exteriors shot in old areas in Manchester where the film is partially set. While there are some wide shots to establish some of the locations, Lean would go for something that is more intimate in its visuals in the way he captures life at the shop as well as the raucous world of the pubs. The direction also has Lean create some moments that are quite surreal as it relates to Hobson’s alcoholic state late in the film such as a scene early in the second half where he sees the moon reflected on puddles and tries to stomp them out. The direction also has a theatricality in some of the wide shots such as the very first time one of Maggie’s sisters sees Maggie with Willie as well as the day of their wedding dinner where Maggie’s sisters are with the men they want to marry.
The direction also has Lean create moments that are quite humorous but in a very low-key way as it relates to Willie and the situation he’s forced into. Yet, even as he is developed into a more educated man with ideas of his own. There is still aspects of him that is quite simple where Lean would create a simple shot as it has something that is also very enjoyable. Notably the sequence of the wedding night where it’s about Willie trying to figure what to do while Maggie is in the other room. The film’s climax isn’t just about what Maggie and Willie had achieved but also a fall of sorts for Hobson who is forced to face reality about himself and the situation he’s in as it relates to his business. Overall, Lean crafts a witty yet whimsical film about a boot shop owner trying to deal with changing times and his own faults.
Cinematographer Jack Hildyard does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the gorgeous exterior shots in the park and in the day to some of the interior scenes at night including at the home/shop that Maggie and Willie live/work at. Editor Peter Taylor does superb work with editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s surreal moments. Art director Wilfred Shingleton does brilliant work with the art direction from the look of Hobson’s boot shop and the basement where the boots are made to the pub where Hobson frequents at.
Costume designer John Armstrong does fantastic work with the period costumes as well as the design of the boots that are made and the ragged suit of Hobson. The sound work of John Cox is terrific for the simplicity of the sound as well as the raucous atmosphere of the pubs. The film’s music by Malcolm Arnold is wonderful for its low-key yet playful orchestral music while music director Muir Matheson provide a soundtrack filled with the traditional pub songs of the times.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from John Laurie as Dr. MacFarlane, Dorothy Gordon as Willie’s original fiancée, Julien Mitchell as the pub owner, Gibb McLaughlin and Philip Stainton as a couple of pub regulars who are friends of Hobson, Jack Howarth as another boot maker at Hobson’s shop, and Helen Haye as the posh customer who appreciates Willie’s work as she would play an integral part in Willie and Maggie’s new business. Derek Blomfield and Richard Wattis are superb in their respective roles as the corn merchant Freddy Beenstock and the solicitor Albert Prosser as the two men whom Vicky and Alice, respectively, want to marry while they would also be involved with Maggie and Willie’s business.
Prunella Scales is excellent as the youngest daughter Vicky who often does the cleaning as she also tries to cook for her father while Daphne Anderson is fantastic as the middle daughter Alice who knows how to run and manage the business but is aware that it’s not enough for her father. John Mills is brilliant as Willie Mossop as a boot smith who is good at what he does while he finds himself being in a business venture with Maggie where he realizes that he has a lot more to offer. Brenda De Banzie is amazing as Maggie Hobson as a 30-year old woman who decides to go into business by herself with Willie as she is someone with a lot of brains while realizing there’s more to Willie as she falls for him. Finally, there’s Charles Laughton in a phenomenal performance as Henry Hobson as a boot shop owner who prides himself in being the best at what he does but is often very selfish and often drinks himself unaware that he’s done a lot to hurt his family as well as be a fool to himself.
Hobson’s Choice is a sensational film from David Lean that features tremendous performances from Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie, and John Mills. It’s a film that has a lot of wit but also a compelling story about changing times and a man’s selfish refusal to accept it. In the end, Hobson’s Choice is a spectacular film from David Lean.
David Lean Films: In Which We Serve - This Happy Breed - Blithe Spirit - Brief Encounter - Great Expectations (1946 film) - Oliver Twist (1948 film) - The Passionate Friends - Madeleine (1950 film) - The Sound Barrier - Summertime (1955 film) - The Bridge on the River Kwai - Lawrence of Arabia - Doctor Zhivago - Ryan's Daughter - (Lost and Found: The Story of Cook’s Anchor) - A Passage to India - (The Auteurs #74: David Lean)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the Gustave Fluabert novel Madame Bovary, Ryan’s Daughter is the story of a young Irish woman who has an extramarital affair with a British officer that causes trouble in her home where lots of morality is questioned. Directed by David Lean and screenplay by Robert Bolt, the film is a loose take on the Flaubert novel as it is set during World War I amidst a sense of cultural and political tension between the British and the Irish. Starring Sarah Miles, Robert Mitchum, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Christopher Jones, and Leo McKern. Ryan’s Daughter is a ravishing but flawed film from David Lean.
Set in an isolated village near the Atlantic coast in Ireland during World War I in the backdrop of escalating tension between the British and Irish. The film revolves around a young woman who marries a widowed schoolteacher as she suddenly falls for a wounded British officer as it causes problems once the affair is known by the locals. It’s a film that is quite simple but it’s told in a broad scale as Robert Bolt’s script has this very unique structure as it plays into the life of Rosy Ryan (Sarah Miles) as the first act is about her marrying the middle-aged schoolteacher Charles Shaughnessy (Robert Mitchum) while the second act introduces the character of the British officer Major Randolph Doryan (Christopher Jones). The third act doesn’t just relate to the unveiling of the affair but also a key incident that relates to this tension between the British and Irish.
The script doesn’t just explore the tension between Britain and Ireland where the Irish are upset at the presence of the British in their land. It also plays into Rosy who is fond of Shaughnessy who is just a lonely widower that is devoted to teaching children where she falls for him and things seem fine. Yet, Rosy feels like marrying Shaughnessy isn’t enough until her meeting with Major Doryan at her father’s pub is where things get really interesting story wise but there’s some big flaws as it relates to the Major Doryan character. While it is revealed that Major Doryan is there to watch over the base, he is someone that comes off as underwritten as it is obvious that he is an officer with a bad leg and some post-traumatic stress disorder but he’s never fully fleshed out other than just some object of desire for Rosy whereas Shaughnessy is a far more interesting character who really has a lot more to offer in terms of character and in development.
Another issue with the script is the character of the village idiot Michael (John Mills) as he is someone that is just there that would be a witness or would do something in a form of pantomime as it’s an odd character. One of which raises questions into why is there character there and what is his importance to the story? He’s someone that never really connects with anything that happens where it’s just one of these things that are very distracting while the portrayal of the villagers who would act very savagely in the third act also become problematic. Though there is a valid reason into their anger, it shows them more as monsters who ignore the idea of reason as the one character in the film that is sort of the film’s conscience is Father Hugh Collins (Trevor Howard).
David Lean’s direction is mesmerizing for not just the look of the locations near the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland but also in creating a world that is large though it is set in this very small town that is remote from the rest of the world. The usage of wide and medium shots don’t make the locations an integral part of the story but it also plays into a world that is changing around this town that really has very little clue on what is happening outside of the world. From the scenes of the beach, cliffs, and mountains outside of the town, it’s a world that is peaceful while the town itself looks dreary and detached from the world as it reflects on a world that Rosy and Shaughnessy live in where they’re part of a community but are also very different. While it is clear that Father Collins is sort of this moral leader that the town has to abide to, he is also the one person for Rosy and Shaughnessy can confide to as it adds to the drama.
The direction also play into elements of fantasy and reality as it relates to what is going on in the film’s second half where Shaughnessy begins to suspect that something isn’t right in his marriage. The usage of close-ups and medium shots add to some of the emotional drama while there are also these moments that showcases the dramatic tension within Rosy who feel like she is torn in her devotion towards her husband and the passion she has for Major Doryan. Lean’s approach to humor for the scenes involving Michael don’t work as it is one of the key faults of the film. Some of the elements in the third act as it relates to the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) and British forces do go overboard once the villagers become savages over Rosy’s affair with Doryan also gets over-the-top where they would also target Shaughnessy. Overall, Lean creates a beautiful and engaging but messy film about an Irish woman’s affair with a British soldier during World War I.
Cinematographer Freddie Young does incredible work with the film‘s photography in terms of its gorgeous scenery of the locations as well as creating moods in some of the interiors and scenes set at night or in the rain as Young‘s work is a major highlight. Editor Norman Savage does excellent work with the editing in creating a few montages for some of Major Doryan‘s flashbacks as well as some rhythmic cuts for some of the dramatic moments in the film. Production designer Stephen B. Grimes, with set decorator Josie MacAvin and art director Roy Walker, does amazing work with the look of the small town as well as Shaughnessy schoolhouse and the pub where Rosy‘s father works and runs.
Costume designer Jocelyn Rickards does nice work with the costumes from some of the stylish dresses that Rosy wears to the suits of Shaughnessy and the uniforms of the British officers. Sound editors Ernie Grimsdale and Winston Ryder do superb work with the sound from the way the wind and storms sound on location as well as the raucous parties that goes on in the village. The film’s music by Maurice Jarre is brilliant for its orchestral-based score that has some unique touches in its string arrangements where it’s playful at times while having some military-inspired marches and some dramatic pieces though there’s moments that do feel odd in terms of where the music is used in the narrative.
The film’s cast include some notable small performances from Barry Jackson as a British corporal, Evin Crowley as the local lush Moureen Cassidy, Gerald Smith as the camp caretaker Captain Smith, Brian O’Higgins as the British sympathizer Constable O’Connor, Arthur O’Sullivan and Marie Kean as the McCardles who are very supportive of the IRB cause, and Barry Foster as the IRB leader Tim O’Leary who wants the British out of Ireland as he tries to start a guerilla war against them. Leo McKern is superb as Rosy’s father Tom Ryan as a pub owner who is also an informant for the British as he would often give them bad information until one key moment that would showcase some shame and cowardice for what he really is.
John Mills as the mentally-challenged village idiot Michael is really one of the most baffling performances in the film has he serves very little purpose to the story while being this unnecessary distraction as it’s just odd in a bad way. Christopher Jones’ performance as Major Doryan is just terrible as it’s just bland while Jones never does much to flesh out the character while he is too restrained his role as he rarely speaks (under the dubbed voice of Julian Holloway) where he is just very unsympathetic and never does enough to display the troubles of his PTSD.
Trevor Howard is brilliant as Father Hugh Collins as the film’s conscience of sorts as a man of great moral who understands Rosy’s struggle to be faithful while being aware of what is going on as he realizes, despite his sympathies for IRB, that Rosy and Shaughnessy are being victimized over nothing. Sarah Miles is amazing as Rosy Ryan as a young woman who falls and marries the middle-aged Shaughnessy while having an affair with Major Doryan as this young woman who is conflicted in her feelings and coming to terms with the envy she had received from locals. Finally, there’s Robert Mitchum in a remarkable performance as Charles Shaughnessy as a kind and widowed schoolteacher who marries Rosy as he’s a man of old values but is willing to make changes where later copes with what is happening as it is a restrained but touching performance from Mitchum in one of his underrated performances in his career.
Ryan’s Daughter is a stellar but underwhelming romantic-epic film from David Lean. While it has some beautiful images from Freddie Young’s cinematography in its Super Panavision 70 format as well as great performances from Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, and Trevor Howard. It’s a film that doesn’t do enough to create a compelling story while having some strange choices in some of the characters and motivations. In the end, Ryan’s Daughter is a rapturous but extremely flawed film from David Lean.
David Lean Films: In Which We Serve - This Happy Breed - Blithe Spirit - Brief Encounter - Great Expectations (1946 film) - Oliver Twist (1948 film) - The Passionate Friends - Madeleine (1950 film) - The Sound Barrier - Hobson’s Choice - Summertime (1955 film) - The Bride on the River Kwai - Lawrence of Arabia - Doctor Zhivago - (Lost and Found: The Story of Cook’s Anchor) - A Passage to India - (The Auteurs #74: David Lean)
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