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SunsetSongMattZollerSeitzquot;SunsetSong,quot;aboutaruralScottishgirlgrowingtowomanhoodintheyearsbeforeWorldWarI,isoneofthegreatdirectorTerenceDaviesx27;bestfilms:anexampleofoldschoolandnewschoolmentalitiescomingtogethertocreateachallenginganduniqueexperience.Themoviefeelsasifitcouldhavebeenmadeinthe1940s,weretherenosuchthingascensorship.Therex27;sfranksexandviolence,andthemoviedoesnx27;tshyawayfromthenastieraspectsoflifeinthattimeandplace.Buttherex27;sneverafeelingthatDaviesisrubbingournosesinsuffering,becausethefilmdisplayssomuchempathyforitscharactersandsuchawarenessofthesocial,politicalandhistoricalforcesthathoverbeyondtheedgesoftheirconsciousness.Whattotellyouabouttheplot?Idonx27;twanttotellyouanything,notbecausetheeventsthemselvesaresurprising(theyarenx27;t—andDaviesoftenpurposefullytelegraphswhatx27;scoming,asa19thcenturynovelistmight)butbecausethepleasureandpainofthetaleliesinthetelling.Astheobservant,reactiveChris,AgynessDeynmakesamarvelousaudiencesurrogate.Hernarrationsuggeststhatsheonedayescapedthegrindinglifedepictedhereandbecamethewriterandteacheryoualwaysfigureshecouldbecome.Buttherex27;snoundueself-awarenessorcondescensioninDeynx27;sacting,orinDaviesx27;presentationofhercharacter,andthesupportingcastcontainsnotasinglebadperformanceorfalsenote.AmongthestandoutsareEwanTavendaleasDeynx27;ssuitorandlaterhusband,KevinGuthrie,whoisclearlytookindtoemergefromthismaelstromofmisfortuneunscathed;andPeterMullan,theposterboyfortoxicmanhood,asDeynx27;sfather,ascowlingKingoftheCastle-typewhosepowerresidesinhispropensityforviolenceandhissocietyx27;ssanctioningofit,notinmoralauthority.(Initsdeftillustrationofhowmachovaluesoppressmenaswellaswomen,quot;SunsetSongquot;isoneofthemosteloquentfeministstatementsofthescreenyear;thatitsstatementsmostlyemergeorganicallyfromDaviesx27;portraitofatimeandplacemakethemresonatemorestrongly.)quot;SunsetSongquot;hasgottenmixedreviews,andIcanseewhy.AdaptedbyDaviesfromLewisGrassicGibbon’snovel,anationaltouchstonewritteninScottishdialect,itx27;salreadyatoughsellbecauseitdealswithahistoricalperiodthathaspassedfromlivingmemory,andfeaturesactorswhoarenx27;thouseholdnames.Butratherthaninviteviewersintothisfilmx27;sworldbygoingwarmandcuddlyandreassuringthemthatpeoplebackthenwereJustLikeUs,Daviesconstantlyunderlineshowdifferentthingswere,andhowhardlifecouldbeifyouwereapoorScottishfarmerlivinginaglen;harderstillifyouwereasensitiveor,Godforbid,pacifistman—oranysortofwoman.Childbirthoftenendedindeath.Batteryandrapewereconsideredunfortunatebutstandardaspectsofmarriedlife.Suddenchangesinpoliticalfortunescouldsendagenerationofmenofftosufferanddieinwartoprovetheirpatriotismandmachismo;anybodywhoobjectedwasdemonizedorworse.Therearemomentswhenthefilmveersintowhatfeelslikepolemic—youx27;llknowthemwhentheycome—butnottoomany.Daviesiscommittedtothehereandnow—tothepresent-tensetriumphsandstrugglesofthecharacters.Butthefilmmakerdoesnx27;trevelinmiseryandugliness;itx27;snothisway.Instead,Davies,hiscinematographerMichaelMcDonough,artdirectorsMagsHorspool,KenTurnerandDianavandeVossenberg,andcostumedesignerUliSimonhavemadeamoviethatx27;sbeautifulratherthansuperficiallypretty—afilmthathassoul,andthatismoreconcernedwiththeemotionalmeaningofshockingeventsthantheprecisephysicaldetails.Whenateenagedsoniswhippedwithabeltfordisobeyinghisfather,theboyfacesus,andweseetheblowsbutnottheimpactofthebeltonflesh.Bothroughoff-screensexandchildbirthareconveyedentirelythroughsound:wehearmoansandscreamsupstairs,butthemovieshowsthereactionsofcharacterswhoaresittingdownstairs.Asexualassaultbeginswithastrugglethatgrowsmorefrenziedanddesperateuntilthecamerafinallylowersitselfslowlyontheothersideofthebed,creatingawipeeffectthatblacksoutthescreen;itx27;sasifthefilmiscoveringoureyesforus.Davies,anostalgiabuffsteepedinthetraditionsofoldHollywoodmovies,wedsJohnForddramasaboutpoorfamilies(inparticularquot;HowGreenWasMyValleyquot;andquot;TheGrapesofWrathquot;)andthelushwidescreenepicsofdirectorDavidLean(quot;LawrenceofArabia,quot;quot;Ryanx27;sDaughterquot;),weavingperiodfolksongs(someperformedlive,othersrecorded)intothesoundtrackandshootingtheScottishlandscapeson65mmfilm,theformatusedforso-calledquot;roadshowquot;picturesinthe1960s.Atthesametime,heretainsamodernistsensibility,lingeringonemptyroomsafterallthepeoplehaveleftthem(atechniquehex27;sdeployedinothermovies,notablyquot;DistantVoices,StillLivesquot;),nevershyingawayfromthestoryx27;sharsheraspects,andshootingthefilmx27;sinteriorsonhighdefinitiondigitalvideo,whichcapturessuchfinegradationsofshadowthatyoucanmakeoutthetexturesofcharactersx27;skin,hairandclothingevenwhentheyx27;relitbycandlesalone.DaviesandcinematographerMcDonoughcapturethesplendoroflate-nightdinnersandweddingreceptions,sunlightandmoonlightstreamingthroughwindowsandthewayafieldtremblesasabreezestrokesthegrass.Thewind,thebirds,thebleatinglivestockandwhirringinsectsprovideanothersortofmusiconthesoundtrack.Thedialogueandvoice-overmakeapointofremindingusofthesesquabblinghumansx27;smallnessinrelationtothelandonwhichtheywork,love,reproduce,ageanddie.Thefilmhasanawarenessoftheeternalthatx27;srareinWesterncinema.Peoplecomeandgobutthelandremains.Theetherealnatureofhumanrelationships(andhumans,period)givestheentiremovieastoicquality:wedothebestwithwhatwehave,andtrytobethankfultobealive,andtakepleasureinmomentsthatbegintofadethesecondwerealizethatwex27;reinthem.Asthefilmx27;sheroineputsit,quot;Therearelovelythingsinthisworld—lovelythatdonotendure,andthelovelierforthat.quot;MattZollerSeitzistheEditoratLargeofRogerEbert.com,TVcriticforNewYorkMagazineandVulture.com,andafinalistforthePulitzerPrizeincriticism.