This truly romantic epic represents the 1910s as David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia) directs the tour-de-force Ryan’s Daughter, set during World War I and the Easter Rising insurrection of Ireland.
Loosely based on Madame Bovary, this overlooked masterpiece follows Rosy (Sarah Miles), resident of a small Irish village and daughter of local innkeeper Tom Ryan (Leo McKern). Rosy is unhappily married to a drab schoolmaster Charles Shaughnessy (Robert Mitchum, who is completely against type). Edgy and unsatisfied, she begins a dangerous affair with British officer Randolph Doryan (Christopher Jones), despite the tension of Wartime and the threat of her nationalist neighbours finding out. Her indiscretion has far reaching consequences however, leading to tragedy and ultimately disgrace.
With Lean’s signature grandiose scale and production, this romance is taken to dizzying heights with great visual impact.