REVIEW: ‘Sunset Song’ follows young Scottish woman’s journey with life, love, violence
Sunset Song from British director Terence Davies is a heartfelt and beautiful movie about the enduring quality of the human spirit and how one faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles in life. The drama’s anchoring performance from Agyness Deyn is powerful and nuanced, surely one of the strongest roles of the cinematic year. Providing excellent supporting work is Peter Mullan and Kevin Guthrie. Their stories are intertwined and woven from a rich fabric by Davies, who adapted the story from Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel.
Deyn plays Chris, a young woman living in a violent household in the Scottish countryside. It’s the early part of the 20th century, and Chris’ family members are farmers, working the land and taking advantage of its bounty. Her father (Mullan) is a hard, abusive man who treats women unfairly and beats his son (Jack Greenness) for speaking out of turn and disrespecting him. Chris watches from afar, horrified by her father’s violence, proud of her brother’s courage and mystified by her mother’s relationship with this man.
Throughout the entire 135-minute movie, which is currently playing New York City’s Film Forum, Davies plays with time progressions. Whatever negative situation Chris is facing doesn’t seem to last too long, although the audience knows her agony is years in the making. One transition takes Chris from her father abusing her brother to her brother leaving the house and changing the family dynamic.
Eventually Chris meets Ewan Tavendale (Guthrie), a local man who instantly falls in love with her. Their marriage is a means of escape for Chris; the relationship provides a positive situation that she probably didn’t think was possible. However, darkness never leaves this central character; it’s always a few short months away.
Davies films Sunset Song in such a picturesque, pastoral way that wondrously highlights the beauty of Scotland. From the golden fields to the local villages to the estate of Chris’ family, this is a movie that works on so many levels, from the narrative piece to the visual storytelling.
What makes Deyn’s performance so engaging is its ability to floor the audience with simple nonverbals that speak so much more than the dialogue. From her crying eyes to her despondent stares into the distance to her genuine joy of falling in love with Ewan, the story of this young woman is told with the help of both words and silence.
Her character’s difficulties also speak to the larger issue of discrimination against women at home and in a paternalistic society. First, Chris’ father believed he owned her, even telling her that she was made of his flesh and blood. Then, after her father, she falls into a similar situation with the man she loves. What might start as a reciprocal relationship soon turns sour, and Chris finds herself subjugated by Ewan. With only her mother as a model, she needs to consider her possibilities and make a strong, courageous choice on what to do in her present situation.
Watching Chris evolve from the daughter of an abusive father to loving mother and conflicted wife is a journey that feels so real and so dramatically important that Sunset Song may stand as one of the best movies of the year. Thanks to its director, its visuals and, most importantly, its anchoring performance, this movie packs a lot of power.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- Sunset Song
- 2015
- Written and directed by Terence Davies
- Based on the book by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
- Starring Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan, Jack Greelees and Kevin Guthrie
- Running time: 135 minutes
- Rated R for sexuality, nudity and some violence
- Rating:
