 |
Far and Away (1992) |
|
|
| This breathtaking epic opens
on the West Coast of Ireland, 1892. Joseph Donnelly, a poor tenant
farmer, is determined to bring justice to an oppressive landlord. He
finds himself instead accompanying the landlord's daughter, Shannon, to
America in a quest for land.
Arriving in Boston , Joseph finds a place for them to live while proving a natural bare-fisted boxer. But his triumph is short-lived as he and Shannon are brutally thrown out into the bitter cold. Their bickering eventually reveals their true feelings for each other, just as they are seperated by a grim turn of events. Joseph sets off for work on the railroad, until a passing wagon train reminds him of his original, to possess his own land Preparing to stake his claim for land he runs into Shannon, who is unhappily re-united with her former fiance. In the excitement of the Oklahoma land rush, they realise their dreams of land and love... Filmed in the widescreen splendor of "Panavision Super 70" and blessed with the finest production values that Hollywood clout can buy, this tale of spunky Irish immigrants forgot one crucial ingredient: a decent screenplay. The film is entertaining enough, and director Ron Howard brings his technical proficiency to the simple plot, culminating in a dynamic, breathtaking depiction of the Oklahoma land rush of 1893. But the movie is really just a vacuous vehicle for married stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as (respectively) the poor tenant farmer and rich landlord's daughter who flee Ireland to be American pioneers. The scenery and the stars are never less than stunning, but Howard falls short of the mark in his attempt to match the epic sweep of films by David Lean. On the other hand, this movie is certainly never boring even if it rarely makes sense, and Lean's own Irish epic, Ryan's Daughter, is a snoozer by comparison. --Jeff Shannon |