Perfectly adorable

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

David lean would be my choice for a desert island film theatre. His films can be seen time and time again, yet they last and will do so forever. He is a heck of a story teller, and this piece of cinema , may have its critics, well to hell with them. I have seen this masterpiece 5 times, and will never tire of it. Rather than write a lengthy tell all, this work is best enjoyed, by simply watching , and not knowing anything adds to the enjoyment. Ireland in the first world war years, was a very interesting place historically. Lean captures this superbly in this epic.

As one would expect, David Lean made great use of the vast, stark expanses of Ireland by the sea in this story about a troubled love set against the politics of Irish independence. The result is a moody, languid film that focuses on the relationship between the passion-starved wife of a small school and an English major temporarily assigned to the region.The trivia notes on this site detail the many problems during the production of "Ryan's Daughter". Still, the final product is a fairly successful story that revolves around the forces of religion and conformity in the small town, where the church--through the parish priest (Trevor Howard)--is the supreme authority on all matters. The film also has something to say about mob rule.The wife (Sara Miles), though discontent in her marriage to the teacher (Robert Mitchum), still manages to love her husband. But she feels a compulsion that sets her in opposition to the priest, the town, and propriety. John Mills won the Oscar for his poignant portrayal of the town idiot, a performance that echoes Charles Laughton's Quasimodo.My only complaint is the soundtrack, which is often jarring and intrusive. This film is uncompromising in its depiction of human nature, which is understandably exaggerated within the confines of the small, insular community perched along the raw, windswept coastline. It engages the viewer and transports him to another time and place, where (and when) ethics were etched in black and white.

Ryan's Daughter has been one my top 10 favorite movies since I first saw it. What endeared me at first was the hugely successful but totally extraordinary casting. Robert Mitchum (movies' stock lady's man) as a meek, loyal, quiet schoolteacher whose hobby is cataloging flowers and herbs. Trevor Howard (usually type cast as a second-class crook) as the local pastor, advising, forgiving, making peace from war. And others, but the piece de resistance is John Mills--suave, debonair, noble Sir John Mills. You could watch this film 20 times and if you know John Mills you would never guess he is the actor who so thoroughly masters this miserable little human being who knows all but knows nothing. Who else would ever match these actors with these parts? The theme is loyalty, loyalty among little people in a little place with little problems that is part of a huge, crashing ocean of discord. I love it more every time I watch it.

When "Ryan's Daughter" first appeared, my mind was addled with leftist cant. Every entertainment had to pass a litmus test of relevance and adherence to popular political myths. Thus, when I finally saw the film on TCM last night it was a revelation.Having retired a few years ago, to live in the craggy paradise of Maine, I was especially overwhelmed by the visuals of the gun runners facing a raging sea; incredible cinematography, music, spare, yet powerful, and the seemingly impossible scurrying of the villagers, dwarfed by thundering waves and spray. I'm not sure if the visual or audio components were more successfully realized.We had visited Ireland 4 years ago, passing through the magnificent terrain and clustered villages near Dingle and the Cliffs of Mahre.As a photographer, I was astounded by the perfect portrayal of this startlingly beautiful region. By comparison, "The Quiet Man" looks theatrically artificial.The story seems to have caused most of the negative criticism. For me, Lean maintained a steady balance between scenic splendor and pinched, frustrated lives. All are suitably restrained and all too human. The result is a truly timeless film, life and lives confounded by ignorance and anger, but as universal as a Greek tragedy."Ryan's Daughter" can be compared without embarrassment to "The Dead", my other favorite Irish cinema.