Terence Davies is an uncompromising film-maker. His choice of material is often quirky, for example, Rattigan’s lesser-known play The Deep Blue Sea for his 2014 project.
Sunset Song is another such, based on the novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. Not well-known outside of Scotland, this is widely regarded as one of the classics of 20th century Scottish fiction. Nor is this the first adaptation, there having been a TV series made in the early 70s. But Davies is a director to be trusted in both his choice of material, and his handling of it.
The story is set just before, and at the beginning of, The Great War, in a tiny village in The Mearns, Scotland. Protagonist Chris Guthrie is a highly intelligent girl, and the oldest child in an over-crowded farming family. We walk with her through personal tragedy, struggle and love. We witness the gradual mechanisation of old farms, the onset of war, the gruelling horror of childbirth and the less romantic aspects of life in a small village, particularly for women at the time. But rising above this all is Chris’s love of her countryside, and in this, she is seen by many as being symbolic of Scotland herself.
Here, as expected, are Davies’s stock-in-trade: the achingly beautiful panning shots; the muted lighting; the underplayed performances; the suppressed passions. This is a heart-breaking piece of film, in true Davies style.
Agyness Deyn is exquisite as Chris, able to show fragility and strength in the same facial expression. Peter Mullan is able to bring humanity to the difficult role of John Guthrie, Chris’s sadistic father. And Kevin Guthrie owns the role of Ewan with sweetness and vulnerability. As always, Davies has cast brilliantly, with every role, no matter how brief, seeming to be tailor-made for his choice of actor.
This is an exquisite piece of work, and an object lesson in how to bring a novel to life on the screen. For lovers of film. For lovers of Scotland.
For lovers.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Rating out of 10: 9
Sunset Song will be released in cinemas from 1 September 2016.
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