Under Milk Wood (1972)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Andrew Sinclair

Writers:

Andrew Sinclair (writer)
Dylan Thomas (play)

Release Date:

21 January 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

This is a delightful if peculiar story of a day in the life of a small, Welsh fishing village called "Llareggub" (read it backwards)...

Plot Keywords:

Welsh | Independent Film | Based On Play

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Narrator
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Rosie Probert
Peter O'Toole	...	Captain Tom Cat
Glynis Johns	...	Myfanwy Price
Vivien Merchant	...	Mrs. Pugh
Siân Phillips	...	Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard
Victor Spinetti	...	Mog Edwards
Ryan Davies	...	2nd Voice
Angharad Rees	...	Gossamer Beynon
Ray Smith	...	Mr. Waldo
Michael Forest	...	Sinbad Sailor
Ann Beach	...	Polly Garter
Glynn Edwards	...	Mr. Cherry Owen
Bridget Turner	...	Mrs. Cherry Owen
Talfryn Thomas	...	Mr. Pugh

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:AA | Iceland:L | UK:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Lower Town, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Company:

Timon Productions

Trivia:

The ninth of eleven films that Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starred in together.

Movie Connections:

References Miranda (1948)

not altogether satisfactory

Dylan Thomas' play for voices has always worked best as a radio text, where its rich poetry can be fully appreciated. This film version is indeed true to the text but as a visual medium, is saddled with the need to open out and show scenes as described in the text - with sometimes risible results.

However, there are certain strengths that even the filmed treatment can't ruin. Chief amongst these are Peter O'Toole's interpretation of the blind Captain Cat, dreaming of his lost love, Rosie Probert (played by an overly made-up Elizabeth Taylor); and O'Toole's then wife, Sian Phillips, as Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, abusing both her dead husbands as they lie with her. Polly Garter and Myfanwy Price, Thomas' corrupt and innocent, are well-played by Ann Beach and Glynis Johns.

Richard Burton is 1st Voice, as he was in the memorable radio production of the 1950s. But here he is also a malevolent presence wandering quietly round the village of Llareggub, influencing the action at some points (the scene in the barn seemed out-of-place and slowed the pace of this film). I'm not knocking Burton's voice, which was superb for the material, but perhaps his presence would have been better restricted to a narrator.