The Last Days of Dolwyn

/ / GB / 1949 / Williams, Emlyn / drama

Last Days of Dolwyn, The. PC: London Films. A British Lion release. EX: Alexander Korda. P: Anatole de Grunwald. D+SC: Emlyn Williams. DP: Otto Heller. CAST: Edith Evans, Emlyn Williams, Richard Burton. 94’. B&w. English and Welsh gaelic dialogue. BBFC rating: U. Print: National Film and Television Archive. Presented by: Peter Stead. Viewed at SEA, Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 7 October 1997. ** The landmark film of Welsh cinema presents three legendary Welsh performers of three different generations - Edith Evans as the indomitable old lady, Emlyn Williams as the blackguard who wants to drown the village, and Richard Burton in his film debut as a young lover in the midst of the pastoral idyll. He is tongue-tied literally, since his mother tongue is gaelic, and he has to express his feelings in English, in the language of his sweetheart. These three actors carry the film, and Otto Heller knows where to put the camera. Weaknesses include: the factitious plot, the painted sceneries, the cardboard backgrounds, the weak pulse of the narrative, and worst of all, the lack of cinematic rhythm. Though several scenes, especially those with Edith Evans, are great, the film becomes boring. Freud would be intrigued by the final scene where Richard Burton sticks to his mother’s hand, neglecting his sweetheart’s.