Overview
A tale of forbidden love set against the backdrop of a nation in turmoil.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- sweeping
- oppressive
- classic cinema night
- historical drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the performances, Super Panavision photography, and ambitious fusion of intimate romantic tragedy with the political landscape of 1916 Ireland, while finding the film overlong, ponderous, and overwhelmed by its epic scale.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rosy's relationship with Major Doryan is observed and judged by the Irish village, her marriage, and Father Collins's moral authority.
David Lean places Rosy's marriage and affair within vast beaches, storms, military movement, and the constructed village landscape.
The affair between an Irish villager and a troubled British officer unfolds after the Easter Rising amid British military presence and republican activity.
The exposed Irish coast, crashing waves, and severe weather repeatedly externalize the characters' emotional turmoil.
Films like Ryan's Daughter, and why
Doctor Zhivago
sweeping historical romance, forbidden desire, and monumental landscape cinematography
The English Patient
period romance shaped by political upheaval, social repression, and tragic emotional conflict
Brief Encounter
intimate adultery drama set against a turbulent historical backdrop with doomed romantic intensity
Out of Africa
epic scale applied to private passion, moral pressure, and conflict within a close community
Movie Details
- Director
- David Lean
- Release Date
- 1970-11-09
- Runtime
- 206 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (183)
Cast
- Robert Mitchum
- Trevor Howard
- Christopher Jones
- John Mills
- Leo McKern
- Sarah Miles
- Barry Foster
- Marie Kean
- Arthur O'Sullivan
- Evin Crowley
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ryan's Daughter about?
- In a windswept Irish village, a married schoolteacher’s forbidden affair with a British officer collides with revolutionary politics and communal judgment.
- What is Ryan's Daughter like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ryan's Daughter as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ryan's Daughter violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ryan's Daughter as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ryan's Daughter?
- Critics broadly admired the performances, Super Panavision photography, and ambitious fusion of intimate romantic tragedy with the political landscape of 1916 Ireland, while finding the film overlong, ponderous, and overwhelmed by its epic scale.
- Which films are like Ryan's Daughter?
- Films with a similar feel include Doctor Zhivago, The English Patient, Brief Encounter, and Out of Africa.
- How long is Ryan's Daughter?
- Ryan's Daughter runs 206 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ryan's Daughter?
- In United States, Ryan's Daughter is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
