Sunset Song (film)

Sunset Song
Sunset Song
	Film poster
Directed by	Terence Davies
Screenplay by	Terence Davies
Based on	Sunset Song; by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Produced by	Sol Papadopolous; Roy Boulter; Nicolas Steil
Starring	Agyness Deyn; Peter Mullan; Kevin Guthrie
Cinematography	Michael McDonough
Edited by	David Charap
Music by	Gast Waltzing
Release dates	13 September 2015 (TIFF); 4 December 2015 (United Kingdom);
Running time	135 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom; Luxembourg
Languages	English; Scots

Sunset Song is a 2015 British drama film written and directed by Terence Davies and starring Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan and Kevin Guthrie. It is an adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's 1932 novel of the same name. It was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United Kingdom on 4 December 2015.^[1] The film follows Chris Guthrie, the daughter of a Scottish farmer in the early 1900s.^[2]

Plot

Chris Guthrie, an Aberdeenshire farm girl, is a sensitive writer and extremely good at school, particularly in languages. She lives with her domineering and abusive father, her warm and kind mother, her brother, and two younger siblings. After her father rapes her mother, resulting in the birth of twins, the family moves to a larger home in Kindraddie. While there Chris begins to study at college to become a teacher.

One day Chris's mother warns her of the horror of being raped and shortly after commits suicide, poisoning both herself and her twin newborns. Chris quits her studies and she and her brother commit to helping their father on the farm, while their two younger siblings go to live with their childless aunt and uncle. Chris's brother Will warns her not to let her father run her down the way he did with their mother and tells her his hope of running off to Canada.

Will does eventually leave for Aberdeen instead, though not before briefly introducing her to his friend, fellow farmer Ewan Tavendale.

Chris's father, John, eventually suffers a debilitating stroke putting the care of the farm entirely on Chris, especially after she learns that her brother has married and sailed for Argentina with his new bride. He also tries to rape Chris, though because of his physical condition he is unable to. He dies shortly afterwards leaving all his property and money to Chris. Rather than sell off his possessions she decides to stay on the farm. Very quickly afterwards she and Ewan fall in love and decide to get married and Chris is relieved that she will be able to stay in Kindraddie.

Chris and Ewan have a loving marriage and she gives birth to a son, Ewan Jr, just as the start of World War I. Ewan at first refuses to enlist, but knowing that conscription will soon be passed he eventually decides to go to war. Ewan comes back on leave a changed man. Violent and abrasive he rapes Chris and the two part on bad terms. Chris eventually receives mail informing her that Ewan is dead. She learns from her friend Chae that Ewan was executed as a deserter because he tried to return home to see Chris, devastated that he never got to kiss her goodbye the last time he saw her.

Cast

Agyness Deyn as Chris Guthrie
Peter Mullan as John Guthrie, father of Chris
Kevin Guthrie as Ewan Tavendale
Jack Greenlees as Will Guthrie
Daniela Nardini as Jena Guthrie
Ian Pirie as Chae Strachan
Douglas Rankine as Long Rob
Mark Bonnar as Reverend Gibbon
Simon Tait as Dr. Meldrum
Trish Mullin as Mistress Melon
Julian Nest as Mr. Semple, lawyer
Linda Duncan McLaughlin as Auntie Janet
Ron Donachie as Uncle Tam
Jamie Michie as Mr. Kinloch
Niall Greig Fulton as John Brigson
Jim Sweeney as Preacher
Hugh Ross as School Inspector
David Ganly as Tinker
Tom Duncan as McIvor

Production

The film features Peter Mullan and Kevin Guthrie, and was shot in New Zealand, Luxembourg and Scotland. It was produced by Iris Productions, SellOut Pictures and Hurricane Films and backed by BFI, Creative Scotland, BBC Scotland and Luxembourg Film Fund.^[3]

Trailer

The official trailer was released as an exclusive with The Guardian on 10 November 2015.^[4]

References

^ "Sunset Song: Cinema Screenings & Ticket Booking - The Official Showtimes Destination". Sunset Song. Archived from the original on 12 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Toronto to open with 'Demolition'; world premieres for 'Trumbo', 'The Program'". ScreenDaily. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
^ "Sunset Song world premiere Toronto Film Festival TIFF 15". Hurricane Films. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
^ "Sunset Song: watch the exclusive trailer for the first world war tragedy starring Agyness Deyn - video". The Guardian. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.

External links

Sunset Song at IMDb

[1] "Sunset Song: Cinema Screenings & Ticket Booking - The Official Showtimes Destination". Sunset Song. Archived from the original on 12 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.

[ScreenDaily-2] "Toronto to open with 'Demolition'; world premieres for 'Trumbo', 'The Program'". ScreenDaily. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.

[Hurricane_Films-3] "Sunset Song world premiere Toronto Film Festival TIFF 15". Hurricane Films. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.

[4] "Sunset Song: watch the exclusive trailer for the first world war tragedy starring Agyness Deyn - video". The Guardian. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.

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