That They May Face the Rising Sun

This is an exceptional movie. The slow pace of life brings your heartbeat down, it takes you to places in way that other movies cannot. I really enjoyed the character development and the moments of joy and sadness. It's a true beauty, watch it.

This is an exceptional movie. The slow pace of life brings your heartbeat down, it takes you to places in way that other movies cannot. I really enjoyed the character development and the moments of joy and sadness. It's a true beauty, watch it.

This is an exceptional movie. The slow pace of life brings your heartbeat down, it takes you to places in way that other movies cannot. I really enjoyed the character development and the moments of joy and sadness. It's a true beauty, watch it.

A moving picture!

I pretty much went into the cinema with 'That They May Face the Rising Sun' totally blind in terms of what to expect, just the way I like it mind you. All I knew was that it was outta Ireland and based on a book, which I evidently hadn't heard of. I'm pleased to say what greeted my eyes was a very splended movie.

The story is simple, one that holds no bells and whistles. I don't mean that in a negative way whatsoever, as it is the film's greatest element. It's all very grounded, which allows the acting talent to shine. Though, the cinematography is exquisite. It is also paced to perfection, in that regard I was kinda caught off guard when the credits appeared!

Barry Ward and Anna Bederke are the cover stars and are worthy in their roles of Joe and Kate, I enjoyed them both. However, those behind them are the standouts for me. Lalor Roddy is fantastic as Patrick, so much emotion (and humour!) delivered from him throughout. Brendan Conroy does a lot with relatively little, similarly (first time actor, so I read?!) Phillip Dolan and Sean McGinley (esp. At the end).

It's all extremely touching. Safe to say, I'd highly recommend this!

Watch this movie and be at peace with a different rhythm of life from a time and place that is gone. Some of it with good riddance and some with a beautiful longing attached. The people are all from my childhood in one way or another and the vivid and stirring performances moved me greatly.

The unabated fury, the humdrum quiet, the occasional out of place remark, the gentle mockery of the hypocrites - this is a stunning insight into rural life at the time of my childhood. I am grateful to see it now as an adult and grasp the subtleties that were beyond me then.

If you cannot marvel at their splendor and that of the scenery that remains in the west of Ireland, then plan a visit to see the modern day version. Spoiler alert : it's the same only different.

Joe, (Barry Ward), and Kate, (Anna Bederke), have returned from London to rural Ireland. He writes, perhaps a novel, perhaps not, while she sketches and makes little decorative pieces from twigs and bits of wood. The rest of the time they simply try to manage the small farm holding on which they live, mostly with the help of kindly neighbors. The seasons pass and nothing out of the ordinary happens; one neighbor marries and another dies and we simply observe the small details that make up these people's lives.

Based on John McGahern's novel, Pat Collins' really quite extraordinary and quite extraordinarily moving film "That They May Face the Rising Sun" could best be described as Ireland's answer to the films of Ermanno Olmi or maybe the Taviani Brothers. Gorgeously shot on location in County Galway this is one of the greatest of films about rural life and the day-to-day existence of people who have nothing and yet who want for nothing.

Director Collins is fundamentally a documentary film-maker and he brings a documentarian's eye to bear on proceedings here drawing extraordinarily naturalistic performances from his cast. Veteran Irish actors like Sean McGinley, Lalor Roddy, Ruth McCabe and Brendan Conroy are doing perhaps their best work here and it's hard to believe that Phillip Dolan as one kindly neighbor has never acted in a film before. Leads Barry Ward and Anna Bederke are also superb in their quietude and their empathy, outsiders who nevertheless feel like the backbone of their community, magnets drawing others to them for help or just for a listening ear. A masterpiece that simply has to be seen.

Having grown up in rural donegal, it was a great movie as it brought up so many memories. It felt very true to the time and place. They obviously put a lot of time and thought into certain scenes and how people would have interacting at the time. Its a slow movie but it hits a punch. It goes without saying that the long shots of the scenery are beautiful and it is done in a way that it ties into the story. I hope that people that are not familiar with the place don't think that the more eccentric characters are overplayed or exaggerated as these are characters that are very familiar to those that grow up in rural Ireland.