Plot: What’s it about?
Rosy (Sarah Miles) is married to schoolteacher Charles (Robert Mitchum) and while she imagined marriage would be perfect, she is let down with the reality of her situation. Her husband is a kind man, but he is reserved and well, boring in most aspects. This leaves her unsatisfied and wondering what the world offers that she is missing, which is not good for a married woman. When she confides in her priest about her desire for more, he warns her to be careful what she wishes for, as she might get her wish granted. As it turns out, she does indeed find more, when British official Randolph Doryan (Christopher Jones) walks into her father’s pub. Now that she has a chance to get what she has dreamed about, will she take the chance and if she does, what consequences will face her when the truth is discovered?
Although my main cinematic interests are horror related, I have a deep interest in the work of David Lean. He directed a variety of projects in his career, but he is perhaps best known for his epics, films like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. Lean had a masterful touch in his movies, especially in his earlier works and I never pass up a chance to screen one his movies. Ryan’s Daughter is one I hadn’t seen before, as I had heard mixed reviews, but with this release, I decided to take a chance. In the end, I feel like Lean tried to take a simple story and stretch it far too thin. This could have been good at half the duration or less, but as it stands, there is too much pad and not enough substance. But the visuals are remarkable, gorgeous shots that help distract us from how drawn out this movie is at times. Warner’s two disc edition sports enough bells & whistles to satisfy fans, but unless you’ve seen it and love it, Ryan’s Daughter is best suited as a rental.
Video: How does it look?
Ryan’s Daughter is presented in 2.20:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a three and a half hour movie, so I was concerned about the visuals, but there was no need. Warner has restored the film, so it looks excellent and it is spread across both discs, to ensure the highest level presentation. The print looks beautiful, with minimal debris and grain, so we have a clean and refined foundation. The image shows off great detail and even subtle touches come across well. I found colors to be bright and natural, with no errors to report, while black levels perform well also, so contrast never wavers. This is a prime example of how good a movie can look when a studio decides to put in the extra effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was satisfied with the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option, but to you audiophiles out there, the limitations of the material are evident. The surround presence is good, as it enforces atmosphere, such as rain and crowd noise. This helps with immersion of course, but the material isn’t able to afford much beyond the basics, so don’t expect too much. Given the needs of the material however, the lack of dynamic presence isn’t missed, so no real complaints there. This release also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Laurent Bouzereau served as producer on this release and he hosts the audio commentary track, which has insights from countless folks. A lot of different people share their thoughts and while these patchwork sessions don’t always work, this one is fine. Some people you’d like more of and some less, but overall, the track is brisk and has a lot of worthwhile information. In addition to two vintage featurettes, we also have three new ones, which combine for just over an hour of interviews. Not the most in depth interviews I’ve seen, but more than solid and fans will appreciate the inclusions. This release also includes two of the film’s theatrical trailers.
