Woman of Dolwyn

The Last Days of Dolwyn is a thoughtful and moving film, which conveys its main purpose expertly. The storyline is a simple one, and concerns the flooding of a small welsh village to provide water to the inhabitants of certain towns in Lancashire, England. Emlyn Williams completes a tour-de-force as writer, director and star of this film. On all three counts he does exceptionally well, and it was no surprise that he went on to become a famous showbiz personality. His portrayal of the arrogant and selfish agent is particularly noteworthy, and he is the perfect villain of the piece. In fact, the whole cast is top notch, and there isn't a dud performance to be seen. This top quality ensemble playing does greatly enhance the film, as does the typical welsh valley scenery. However, a special mention must be made of that great actress Edith Evans, who gives a magnificent performance in the lead role. She demonstrates the art of acting at its very best, and undoubtedly brings that extra special touch of quality to this film. It's not an easy film to track down, but is well worth the effort if you can see it. Highly recommended.

An unexpectedly strong performance from most of the cast in this delightful, thoughtful film.

Edith Evans gave a low key, believable performance, far removed from the over the top, grandstanding appearances she became known for later on.

It was interesting to see and hear the very young Richard Burton, speaking and singing in his native tongue. It is easy to see how he rapidly rose in the firmament of acting stars but also sad to know that his wonderful voice would be ruined by his lifestyle.

Emlyn Williams brilliantly portrayed a small rural village and it inhabitants, which could have been found all over the U. K. where most of the inhabitants often had little control over their lives, (as it was and is elsewhere in the world). In the era the film was set, 'Progress' was king and the little people were ignored. A number of villages were flooded in order to create reservoirs for major and expanding towns. Many reservoirs have been constructed all over the U. K. in more recent times, some flooding villages and towns. The experience of the villagers in the film is mirrored still, in other countries e.g.Egypt and the Aswan Dam and more recently China and the Three Gorges Dam.

The majority of speaking parts were clearly played by actors who were fluent in Welsh, which was spoken extensively.

The film is understated, not flashy and reliant on big budget 'Disaster Movie' effects. It is about the people.

There is a marked contrast between the careers of the two leads,Richard Burton,in his debut performance,and Emlyn Wiliiams.

Burton shows here why he went on to become a star,but after marrying Elizabeth taylor his career was doomed,apart for a couple of performances. Otherwise it was a case of take the money and run till his early death.

Williams on the other hand had been around since the thirties and would be around for a time after Burton's death.

As a writer he knew how to write best for himself. Thus he played maany villains,particularly blackmailers and he was very effective as such.

They both make this a very watchable film.

This is a film that is hard to find, but when yo find it, it's worth it. It moves briskly for a drama, and has lots of charm.

It is the story of big business against the little people, in this case the little people being a Welsh village.

But the big business isn't portrayed so one dimensionally, either. In fact, only one heartless man is responsible for the turmoil caused, and indeed the British lord in charge is much more sensible and human. However, the heartless man is in the role of agent, and once lived in the village before being discovered as a thief.

Two elements that magnetize a viewer to this piece are Irony and Atmosphere. This film is high on both, and I love Irony and Atmosphere.

I find it incomprehensible that this gem of a film about a Welsh village doomed to be flooded by a new dam is available only in a less than pristine print. The current DVD is simply a transfer from a VHS tape (one reviewer said the version he taped off of TV looked better). You would think a film with Emlyn Williams, Dame Edith Evans, and featuring the first screen appearance of a 23 year old Richard Burton would be a prime candidate for the "Criterion treatment" but so far nothing, not even in England. The picture quality on this release is good to excellent but the soundtrack needs to be cleaned up. You can hear everything but it takes a little effort.

I first saw this movie back in 1980 when I was living in the historic city of Charleston, SC. From the opening shot of a vast lake with the top of a church steeple rising out of it, I was hooked. I didn't recognize Richard Burton at first as he was so young. His voice hadn't matured yet and he spoke as much Welsh as he did English. In fact one of the pure delights of the film is that so much Welsh is spoken even by Edith Evans whose accent blends right in with Burton's and a young Hugh Griffith as the village minister. Welsh author-director-star Emlyn Williams (THE CORN IS GREEN) does a remarkable job in all three roles. He is not as well known today as he used to be but he was a major talent which is fully on display here.

The story is set in 1892 and deals with the impending flooding of a small Welsh village to provide water for a neighboring English county. The man behind the project (Williams), a former villager, is working for the power company but has reasons of his own for wanting to see the village inundated. The townspeople are of two minds. Some want the money and jobs promised but others don't want to move to Liverpool. Edith Evans is heartbreaking as the village elder who doesn't want to see the town disappear. Burton is one of her two sons. Although the outcome is known, the ending comes as a real surprise. I was bewildered by it as the plot twist seems highly improbable. Despite that, the depiction of village life is poignant and the Welsh language poetic and beautiful. Now all we need is a first class restoration...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.