Friday, March 29, 2024

Movie Review: Sunset Song is a beautiful melody that sings with graceful emotion


Director: Terence Davies
Writers: Lewis Grassic Gibbon (novel), Terence Davies (screenplay)
Stars: Peter Mullan, Mark Bonnar, Agyness Deyn

Synopsis: The daughter of a Scottish farmer comes of age in the early 1900s.

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Each year there are films that go completely under the radar, yet end up as one of the most underrated films of the year. Sunset Song is one of those films in 2016. Terence Davies’ iteration of the Lewis Grassic Gibbon novel is simply breathtaking. Regardless of how you feel about the story in Sunset Song, the one thing you can’t take away from this film is its gorgeous cinematography. Davies paints the screen with rich, lush imagery that creates a full and visceral yearning for more of Scotland. In a word, the visuals are evocatively mesmerizing.

However, Sunset Song is more than just eye candy, it’s also emotionally very satisfying. The story centers around a young Scottish woman named Chris, who is forced out of school to help with the family farm, run by her strict and brazen father. Chris (Agyness Deyn) sees her family fall into turmoil, which eventually leads to her brother escaping the family and moving to the city. Taking that as inspiration, Chris makes decisions of her own that lead to her escape for a better life. She meets a charming lad named Ewan (Kevin Guthrie), who has his eyes set on her, but before the two can create happily ever after, WWI comes to Europe changing Scotland forever.

There is a pathos at the core of Chris’ story that sneaks its way through every turn of Sunset Song. Chris struggles to cope with her familial upheaval and no matter what she does, life has a way of repeating itself. In her teen years, she saw her mother go through some rather arduous events that she would eventually face herself. The men in her life have a way of leaving her isolated, even if it wasn’t their intention. Tradition and culture in Scotland keep her from living the lavished life she could have, and definitely deserved. Despite being hindered by these harsh cycles, Chris continues moving forward with strength and it’s really moving when it all comes to fruition.

Davies’ pacing and deft command creates an engaging experience that resonates beautifully. Sunset Song is structured similarly to Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, in the sense that it works like a series of memories. The film covers huge swaths of time with narration of Chris looking back at her life and reflecting on how her family, as well as Scotland, has changed her for better or worse. This structure creates convenient irony but the way Davies plays with it, and again frames it visually, amplifies the film’s themes and emotion.

There’s something to be said about how the exquisite imagery juxtaposes the dreariness of the film’s conflict. The beautiful landscapes depicted in Sunset Song do a wonderful job demonstrating Chris’ adoration for where she comes from and why that is important to her, despite the terrible things she had to endure. Davies’ exploration of that is just masterful and it makes for a riveting 90-minutes that is sure to elegantly remind you of how your family and culture made you who you are.

Agyness Deyn is another reason those notions resonate so powerfully. Deyn depicts these hardships, as well as her joyful times, with complete magnetic prowess. She gives arguably the best female performance of the year so far. Peter Mullan is always terrific and Kevin Guthrie is one of the unsung heroes of Sunset Song. The ambiguity surrounding his character is vital to the film and he delivers it impeccably.

Sunset Song is a film that won’t speak to general audiences necessarily but for those who are patience with this film, you’ll be rewarded with an emotional wallop that is sure to justify your time with these characters.

Overall Grade: A-

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Hear our full review on a previous Extra Film:

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JD Duran
JD Duranhttps://insessionfilm.com
InSession Film founder and owner. I love film. Love art. Love how it intersects with our real lives. My favorite movies include Citizen Kane, The 400 Blows, Modern Times, The Godfather and The Tree of Life. Follow me on Twitter @RealJDDuran. Follow us @InSessionFilm.

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