MovieChat Forums > Ryan's Daughter (1970) Discussion > The British Officer

The British Officer

posted 14 years ago by jcurrie58-1
5 replies | jump to latest

I saw this film recently on British TV and wonder if anyone else has questioned why the British Army sent a man who was physically and emotionally scarred to the posting in Ireland. He was obviously still suffering from shell shock and his leg was still paining him. I doubt whether in World War I the Army would have sent him to such a sensitive posting in his state. In real life he would probably have been assigned a desk job at home.

I also saw this film when it came out in 1970/71 and even though I'm not Irish, I felt it portrayed the Irish in a bad light. Didn't the young people have jobs to do, either fishing or peat cutting? The girls would have probably remained at home helping out or been sent away to domestic service (which was common at the time). I'm Scottish but still didn't like Lean's portrayal of the Irish, even at the time.

[–] rmoore66-1 14 years ago

In real life, during WWI, the British would have simply sent him back out to the front.

[–] macfilm 11 years ago

When Doryan first appears at the pub, it is noted by all in the pub that he is only wearing ONE battle decoration ribbon on his uniform.

But it's the VICTORIA CROSS!

And the film cuts to a close-up of the ribbon as emphasis. It's a significant scene.

So it would not be unlikely that the army sent Doryan to what was thought to be a "soft assignment" as a reward after suffering obvious physical injuries that would limit his ability to go back to the front lines.

They wouldn't have had much sympathy for any "shell shock" in 1916, but the leg injury, and the VC could carry a lot of weight.

[–] Hancock_the_Superb 14 years ago

The village depicted in the film is a backwater, middle-of-nowhere hick town. I doubt the British were expecting the Republicans to try and land arms there.

"I am Mr. Shackelford's attorney, Rusty Shackelford, and my client pleads insanity."

[–] onepotato2 14 years ago

I was surprised/disappointed at the shallow characterization of the Irish as miserable moralizing vipers (again), but then I reminded myself that all of my relatives in Ireland actually are miserable, moralzing vipers.

[–] Hecate-3 8 years ago

then I reminded myself that all of my relatives in Ireland actually are miserable, moralzing vipers.

Which makes them different from the rest of the world in what way?

Most people are petty and small-minded. They usually aren't deliberately cruel, but when a lifetime of resentment and jealousy boils over during a high-stakes conflict and mob mentality comes into play, all kinds of nasty things can happen. That's not the Irish: that's just people.

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Strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood and you find the real tinsel underneath.