Film adaptation from the novel by D.H. Lawrence, discovered after the celebrated author's death in 1930, a romantic love story tells of a prim young English girl who is sexually attracted to a seductively virile gypsy. The climatic dam burst is linked with the consummation of her desire.
Joanna Shimkus
Yvette
Franco Nero
The gypsy
Honor Blackman
Mrs. Fawcett
Mark Burns
Major Eastwood
Fay Compton
Grandma
Maurice Denham
The Rector
Kay Walsh
Aunt Cissie
Imogen Hassall
The Gypsy's Wife
Harriet Harper
Lucille
Norman Bird
Uncle Fred
Jeremy Bulloch
Leo
Ray Holder
Bob
Jan Chappell
Mary
Helen Booth
Cook
Margo Andrew
Ella
Laurie Dale
Thomas
Lulu Davies
Gypsy Grandmother
Jonathan Hall
Gypsy Baby
Margaret Rutherford
Grandma (scenes deleted)
Director
Christopher Miles
Writer
Alan Plater
December 4, 2023
Whilst Franco Nero does quite a decent job here as the smouldering traveller, the rest of the cast really needed an Alan Bates or Julie Christie to ignite some sort of spark into this rather timid adaptation of D.H. Lawrence shorter story. On their way to her the home she shares with her vicar father (Maurice Denham) and her family, "Yvette" (Joanna Shimkus) encounters the swarthy gypsy who invites them to have their fortunes told. Sceptical, they agree and shortly afterwards leave full of disdain for their erstwhile hosts. She, however, is smitten! Her sense of loneliness at home, a feeling she is unloved and merely waiting to be married off coupled with her increasingly raging hormones and desires starts to reap discord a-plenty at home, especially with the traditionalist granny "Fay Compton) and her aunt "Cissie" (Kay Walsh). Things aren't helped by the visit of the adulterous "Mrs. Fawcett" (Honor Blackman) and her beau "Maj. Eastwood" (Mark Burns) turning their otherwise sleepy community into a veritable hotbed of sin and depravity - well, sort of! Anyway, there's allegory galore as the story develops, the frustrations mount and the dam eventually bursts. The production standards are high, the costumes and general look of the film work well - but the screenplay produces way too much chatter and this illustration of story lacks bite, passion - indeed just about anything. It's not the best of stories from this author, but this adaptation is just all a bit too tame.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00