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Sunset Song

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for Sunset Song R Released May 13, 2016 2h 15m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 118 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
With World War I brewing and her family scattered across the countryside, a Scottish farm girl struggles to find her way.
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Sunset Song

Sunset Song

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Critics Consensus

Achingly lovely on both visual and narrative grounds, Sunset Song adds another small gem to writer-director Terence Davies' filmography.

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Critics Reviews

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas The Blue Lenses Based on the first book in Lewis Grassic Gibbon's A Scots Quair trilogy, British cinema luminary Terence Davies's Sunset Song takes the beloved Scottish classic and bestows it with his own distinctive creative signature. Aug 25, 2018 Full Review Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald It has taken Terence Davies 18 years to bring Sunset Song to the screen, but it was worth it. Rated: 4.5/5 Sep 2, 2016 Full Review David Stratton The Australian Davies is in no hurry to tell this intimate story, and he handles it with his customary sensitivity, confirming his status as one of Britain's finest contemporary directors. Rated: 4/5 Aug 26, 2016 Full Review JD Duran InSession Film For those who are patience with this film, you’ll be rewarded with an emotional wallop that is sure to justify your time with these characters. Rated: A- Aug 2, 2024 Full Review Jordan Brooks Vague Visages Sunset Song strikes a balance between toil and ecstasy that is at once overwhelming and completely uplifting. Aug 1, 2023 Full Review Fernando E. Juan Lima Otroscines.com The many moments when the protagonists sing are especially touching, a habitual refuge of classic cinema and a perfect wink from a director who loves musicals. [Full review in Spanish] Jul 12, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ian E Visually stunning - in line with the source novel - the framing, production design, cinematography, elegies to the land(scapes) and meticulous inside shots were off the scale incredible. So much so that you have to question whether Terrence Davies also cast his actors to fit in with the aesthetic? And how much time was spent placing the extras into position for the 'Vermeer' shots? Why else would he have cast a skinny Mancunian supermodel who couldn't act her way out of a paper bag but looked stunning, in the lead role? Which begs a question - if physically or emotionally impaired actors have now to play those types of characters, and racial and sexual orientation appropriate casting takes place. Why are rosy cheeked burley Scottish farmer's wives capable of pulling a calf out of it's mother; not played by people who look like rosy cheeked burley Scottish farmer's wives....? Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/11/24 Full Review Alec B It's visual beauty is offset by the fact that the main character remains a cypher from begging to end. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/14/23 Full Review isla s This is a fairly bleak film (certainly for just about the first hour) and I don't mean its a continual blood fest or anything but the plot is very much about an atmosphere of sustained threat and violence, with abuse present. There are some scenes which are hard to watch without flinching. There is some interesting dialogue and nice surroundings shown occasionally (I'd have liked to see more of the wheat fields outside and the surrounding land but most of it is set inside a small house (cottage) and the adjoining barn/stable) and the cast do a decent enough job, although I didn't feel there was quite enough in the way of a clear substance to the plot, to set it apart from other similar films. Its certainly not a bad film (indeed I found the main character (Christine) admirable in a way) but it's not especially great or memorable either - just ok. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review robert p Way too boring so a woman get's raped that's so common in this day and age which is why I could not bear to watch this film and thus my *2* star rating!! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review rory s A powerful drama of perspectives and lives in Scotland. The movie was interesting. Good acting. Well written. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is horrendous. If you don't want to read the book, then look for this on YouTube. BBC did the series ( 1970's) that is far more accurate and has the guts and atmosphere this sorely lacks. Sorry, but Chrissie is so badly portrayed in this new version, (and seems to have a hard Glaswegian accent, although it's set in Aberdeenshire) Peter Mullen gives a great performance but stands out like a sore thumb as the other actors are so poor in comparison. Save your money. This is a truly horrendous rendition of a great book. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Sunset Song

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Movie Info

Synopsis With World War I brewing and her family scattered across the countryside, a Scottish farm girl struggles to find her way.
Director
Terence Davies
Producer
Roy Boulter, Sol Papadopoulos, Nicolas Steil
Screenwriter
Terence Davies
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Hurricane Films, SellOutPictures, Iris Productions
Rating
R (Some Violence|Sexuality|Nudity)
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 13, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$159.3K
Runtime
2h 15m
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