Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Serious period drama is picturesque but slow-moving.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sunset Song
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SUNSET SONG, Chris (Agyness Deyn) has spent her entire life on the family farm in rural Scotland, with a tyrannical father, a meek mother, and a brother who leaves as soon as he's able. It's a miserable life for Chris, and it gets even worse when one parent suddenly dies, and the other becomes an invalid. But there's something positive on the other side of her years of tragedy, and Chris is thrilled when she's left to run the farm on her own. Terence Davies directed this beautifully filmed period drama about Scotland in the early 20th century, based on Lewis Grassic Gibbon's acclaimed novel.
Is It Any Good?
This film is beautiful to see but tedious to watch. Overly long at two hours and 15 minutes, it sloooowly charts the drudgery of Chris' life -- and then just as sloooowly shows her optimism when she finally becomes independent. Not much happens. She meets a man, they fall in love, life is good, then it gets harder. There are few surprises and even fewer events that really capture viewers' attention.
And then there's the last third of Sunset Song, which is a tonal shock. Long sequences are given over to pastoral shots of the countryside, with voice-overs about Chris' inner life that might have looked poetic on the page but are too mawkish for the screen. Nonetheless, Deyn's supremacy over the movie's meandering pace manages to wrestle it from the brink; its stunning cinematography does, too. But only just.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about rural life in the early 20th century. How does Sunset Song portray farm life in that period? Does it make it look appealing?
What kind of options did a teenage girl like Chris have during the time the movie takes place? How have things changed? Do you consider her a strong female role model?
What do you think the movie is trying to say about the father's relationship to his wife and children? Did they have any way they could stand up to him? How does this kind of violence compare to other types of media violence? Which has more impact?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 13, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : August 23, 2016
- Cast : Agyness Deyn , Peter Mullan , Kevin Guthrie
- Director : Terence Davies
- Inclusion Information : Asexual Movie Director(s) , Gay Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Magnolia Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Run time : 135 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexuality, nudity and some violence
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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