Under Milk Wood
Andrew Sinclair 1972 Wales
Starring: Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole, Elizabeth Taylor, Glynis Johns, Siân Phillips, David Jason, Angharad Rees, Victor Spinetti, Ray Smith, Talfryn Thomas, Ruth Madoc, Ann Beach
Unlike many of his contemporaries Dylan Thomas has never really received much in the way of cinematic adaptation. Of course the recent TV biopic A Poet In New York saw the underrated Tom Hollander play the man himself and word is that Rhys Ifans will take the part in a largely unnecessary film version later this year but his work itself has mostly been left untouched. Andrew Sinclair's Under Milk Wood is the exception, taking on Thomas' play of the same name and attempting to portray it in all its comedy and cruelty, its dreams and desires, its gossip and murder plots, its images of everyday life in the fictional Welsh fishing village Llareggub ('bugger all' backwards). To give him due credit it's a task Sinclair does well but at the same time the film's biggest strength is also one of its most limiting failings with the almost constant voiceover that has the actors of the piece speaking Thomas' words practically in full basically overpowering any chance for quality performances and often creating a detachment between what the viewer sees and hears. In fact for a work so rich in dramatic talent it's a surprise to see how little time anyone is given. Partly this is down to the nature of Thomas' fast-moving sprawl of a narrative and the poetic dialogue which, while exhilarating to hear or read, isn't that true to actual speech but the main problem is Sinclair's direction which drains all opportunity for the actors to let loose. Everyone is at least decent if not better but they're restricted from the get-go. Among the cast are Peter O'Toole as blind former sailor Captain Tom Cat, his eyes clouded and his hair greyed, a sadly older than his years Richard Burton, Glynis Johns, Siân Phillips, David Jason, Angharad Rees, Victor Spinetti, Ray Smith, Talfryn Thomas and Elizabeth Taylor, although as resplendent as she is she's on screen for less than three minutes so not really worth her star billing, not to mention her fee. Thanks to the plethora of interesting characters - particularly Hubert Rees' dubious and possibly cannibalistic Butcher Beynon (an inspiration for the League Of Gentlemen's Hilary Briss perhaps) - it's never dull but its visuals don't compare with the power of Thomas' lyricism. There's no real analysis either, no striving to delve deeper and further explain or understand the text, and in the end we're left with little more than a delighted sweep through a beloved manuscript.
PETER O'TOOLE
Andrew Sinclair 1972 Wales
Starring: Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole, Elizabeth Taylor, Glynis Johns, Siân Phillips, David Jason, Angharad Rees, Victor Spinetti, Ray Smith, Talfryn Thomas, Ruth Madoc, Ann Beach
Unlike many of his contemporaries Dylan Thomas has never really received much in the way of cinematic adaptation. Of course the recent TV biopic A Poet In New York saw the underrated Tom Hollander play the man himself and word is that Rhys Ifans will take the part in a largely unnecessary film version later this year but his work itself has mostly been left untouched. Andrew Sinclair's Under Milk Wood is the exception, taking on Thomas' play of the same name and attempting to portray it in all its comedy and cruelty, its dreams and desires, its gossip and murder plots, its images of everyday life in the fictional Welsh fishing village Llareggub ('bugger all' backwards). To give him due credit it's a task Sinclair does well but at the same time the film's biggest strength is also one of its most limiting failings with the almost constant voiceover that has the actors of the piece speaking Thomas' words practically in full basically overpowering any chance for quality performances and often creating a detachment between what the viewer sees and hears. In fact for a work so rich in dramatic talent it's a surprise to see how little time anyone is given. Partly this is down to the nature of Thomas' fast-moving sprawl of a narrative and the poetic dialogue which, while exhilarating to hear or read, isn't that true to actual speech but the main problem is Sinclair's direction which drains all opportunity for the actors to let loose. Everyone is at least decent if not better but they're restricted from the get-go. Among the cast are Peter O'Toole as blind former sailor Captain Tom Cat, his eyes clouded and his hair greyed, a sadly older than his years Richard Burton, Glynis Johns, Siân Phillips, David Jason, Angharad Rees, Victor Spinetti, Ray Smith, Talfryn Thomas and Elizabeth Taylor, although as resplendent as she is she's on screen for less than three minutes so not really worth her star billing, not to mention her fee. Thanks to the plethora of interesting characters - particularly Hubert Rees' dubious and possibly cannibalistic Butcher Beynon (an inspiration for the League Of Gentlemen's Hilary Briss perhaps) - it's never dull but its visuals don't compare with the power of Thomas' lyricism. There's no real analysis either, no striving to delve deeper and further explain or understand the text, and in the end we're left with little more than a delighted sweep through a beloved manuscript.PETER O'TOOLE
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