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, 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.
The Capsule Critic 