DANCING AT LUGHNASA
Ireland, 1998, 92 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Michael Gambon, Catherine Mc Cormack, Kathy Burke, Brid Brennan, Sophie Thompson, Rhys Ifans, Daryl Johnston.
Directed by Pat O' Connor.
Dancing at Lughnasa is an adaptation of the celebrated play by Brian Friel. On stage it had an extraordinary impact, especially when the sisters who lived together suddenly burst into vigorous, pagan-like dance. While this happens in the film, and has its impact, the treatment of the play is very much in the travelogue style, beautiful sequences of the Irish countryside in its 1936 setting.
The drama is strong, a group of sisters living at home, dominated by the older sister, played with finesse by Meryl Streep. The youngest sister, played by Catherine Mc Cormack, has had an affair with a travelling salesman and has a young child. The other sisters work in the town, have difficulties in communicating, build up a community at home. Into this community comes their brother, a missionary in Africa who has been adversely affected physically and mentally by his time in the missions. He is played by Michael Gambon.
The film recreates a period in Ireland, with a Donegal setting, in the aftermath of the civil war and the Black and Tan experience. It also shows a rigid Catholicism. Underlying this, however, are the roots of the Celtic spirituality, the spirituality associated with nature and the druids which tends to surface at different epochs of Irish history, especially when the Irish are under pressure.
The film was directed by Pat O' Connor, whose early films in Ireland, Cal, A Circle of Friends, led to a Hollywood contract and a film Inventing the Abbots and Dancing at Lughnasa.
1. The transferring of Brian Friel's play to the screen? Opening it out? The Irish landscapes? The drama out of doors? The famous dance sequence and its impact? The strong dialogue from the theatre?
2. Donegal, 1936, the countryside? The home and its interiors? The town itself, workplaces, social functions, the church? An authentic atmosphere? The musical score - the Irish songs and lyrics, melodies?
3. The title, the focus on the dancing sequence? Lughnasa and the overtones of pagan religion, the druids, nature religion, passionate and sensual dancing? The contrast with the traditions of Irish Catholicism, its strictness, rigidity in governing people especially in such activities as dancing and the seeming freedom given to the body?
4. The portrait of the Mundy sisters? All unmarried, their ages, relationships with each other, the teaching, keeping house, the mentally slow sister and her knitting gloves? The delineation of their characters: Christina and her being the youngest, her relationship with Gerry, his moving around, her having the child, the status in the community, his growing up, eight years old? Her devotion to her son? Her love for Gerry, her acceptance in the family? Kate, her being the oldest, her sense of responsibility? Her being a teacher? Her attitude towards her religion, strict Catholicism? The expectations in the family, their behaviour, religious observance? The influence over Christina, the other sisters? Agnes, her place in the household, her work with Rose, Rose and her knitting the gloves, bringing in some money? Minor characters? Maggie, keeping house, dowdy, her attitude towards herself, her need for more self-respect, her relationship with her other sisters?
5. Jack, his years in Africa, priest, his physical illness, his mental illness? His wearing the collar? His status as a priest in the village, in the household? The status of priests in the Irish church? Father Carlin and his visit? The authority given to the priests?
6. Michael, the boy in the household of women, growing up, his relationship with his father? Daily life, school? The influence of his mother and his aunts?
7. Gerry, 1936, being away on his travels, his decision to go to Spain, the war against Franco? The comments about the Vatican and its church alliance with the Franco regime?
8. The build-up to the celebration of Lughnasa? The Celtic festival of light? Kate and her strict attitude, seeing it as pagan? Agnes and her wanting to celebrate? Agnes and her promise to Rose that they would leave together and run away?
9. The celebration of Lughnasa, Kate and her having lost her teaching job and its effect on her? Night, finding Rose drunk, her meeting with Danny, and the knowledge that he had been seeing her secretly? His being a married man? The slow build-up to the dance sequence, the motivations for each, their breaking into the dance, including Kate, the wildness of the dance, the passion, the sensuality? A symbol of breaking free from the rigidity of the household, of the church's influence?
10. The aftermath? Gerry and his going to Spain? The news about the factory, the knitwear, Agnes and Rose not having any outlet for their work? Their leaving, the fact that they were never heard of again? Kate, her staying, her attitude towards the family, the loss of the family?
11. The technique of voice-over, the adult Michael, his commenting on his growing up, on his mother, the sisters, the way that they had educated him and brought him up? His reflections on the impact of the music and the dance?
12. A portrait of Ireland in the 1930s? Seen in the light of subsequent 20th century Irish history and change?
