GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

UK, 2017, 104 minutes, Colour.
Josh O' Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart.
Directed by Francis Lee.

At the end of this British drama, the audience may well be asking why is this part of Yorkshire, around Keighley, is God’s own country. For the Yorkshire family who work there on a cattle and sheep farm, it is often hard going, not as rewarding as they might hope. They might well ask how this is God’s own country. On the other hand, for the Romanian migrant who has left a hard and depressing country, this new land might well seem God’s own.

This is a farming story. The Saxby family have a spread of land, have a cowshed, sell a bull at an auction, are coming into the lambing season. The work is done by John, Josh O’ Connor, who finds it a hard and lonely occupation. At home is his grandmother, Gemma Jones. His father, Ian Hart, has been disabled by a stroke but still makes demands on his son, supervising, criticising, especially when his son goes out at night to town to drink and for casual sexual experiences.

With the lambing season, they decide to hire a casual worker for a week and find the Romanian.

The description thus far in this review is fairly objective, describing what might seem a commonplace scenario. However, the Romanian expat is Gheorghe, Alec Secareanu, whom John initially dislikes, asking whether is Pakistani and, on hearing he is from Romania, calls him a gypsy which Gheorghe resents.

However, the audience has seen the sequence of John in town and his sexual liaison – with a young man at the pub. This means that the dynamic of the film and the relationship focuses on a gay man, his relationship with the casual worker who, it soon emerges, is also gay. What starts as a physical fight, changes into a physical coupling. And this leads to bonding, companionship.

The film takes for granted the sexual orientation of each man, simply presenting it is factual – although the two men do feel a need to conceal the relationship, even from the grandmother and father.

What we see is the relationship transforming each of the two men, the better parts of their personalities emerging. And the work on the farm goes better – until the father has another stroke and is hospitalised.

There is a very moving movements with the grandmother keeping vigil at the hospital, the father returning, even more disabled, limited in speech, but his son responding well to his father, a very caring bath sequence with the father able to say, thank you.

While the Romanian is very sure of himself, his orientation and its consequences, John experiences conflict, makes a gross error of choice, which leads to Gheorge’s dismay and departure and the challenging dilemma as to how John will handle the situation, whether he can cope, whether he is capable of apology, what his hopes are for the rest of his life.

The film does have some explicit moments, but it is a film which presents farm life, two men bonding and in a relationship and asks of its audience understanding and sympathy.

1. The title, Yorkshire Farms, the countryside? In comparison with the condition of Romania?

2. The locations, Yorkshire, the home and its interiors, the cowsheds, the fields and the birth of the lambs, the hills and the views, the auction sale, the pubs, the potato farm? The musical score?

3. The rugged farm life, the Saxby family? Nana, her age, care for the family, the housekeeping, cooking and cleaning? Dad, his being disabled, control of the farm, the routines, his relationship with John, his expectations of him, the birth of the calf and its death, the care of the lambs, the farm, the maintenance? His going out in the fields to supervise?

4. John, the opening, his being sick, creating a mess, his relationship with Nana, drinking the milk? The cowshed, the care for the pregnant cow? His concern about the lambs and lambing? His relationship with his father? Going out drinking despite his father’s warnings? The casual sex with the young man at the pub? Too much work, needing help, the plan for hiring, his driving, meetingGheorghe, asking whether he was Pakistani or Gypsy, the antagonism?

5. Going to work, in the fields, the lambing, the births, washing the lambs? The comparisons with Romania and Gheorghe and his memories, his comments on Romania, Farms, the collapse? His leaving his country, leaving it in the past? Prospects in Britain, speaking good English, his mother as a teacher?

6. The tensions between the men, John calling him a gypsy, the fight, the sexual tension, the sexualising of the fight, the sexual experience and encounter, the aftermath? The bond between the two men, Gheorghe and his awareness of his sexual orientation? Sensing it in John? Together, sharing, the attraction, the dependence, the opportunities to be together, in the rooms and the bunks?

7. The change in John, a more pleasing personality, able on the farm, the observation of his father, Nana?

8. Gheorghe and his needs, need for affection, sexuality and expression?

9. Dad, his stroke, going to hospital, the men being called, the visits and vigils? Nana and her care?

10. Going to the pub, John and the boy and the sexual experience in the toilets, Gheorghe seeing this, his anger, leaving?

11. Nana, John and his responsibilities for the departure? Dad coming home, John’s care for him, talking, the kitchen, the bath, washing him? His father saying thank you?

12. John missing Gheorghe, the phone call, no message? Nana giving him the address, going on the bus, meeting him, at the potato farm? The talk, John trying to cope, inarticulate, inviting Gheorghe to come back with him?

13. The return, the bus? The bond? The final credits and the farming sequences, with the children?

14. The picture of Yorkshire, a picture of farming, a picture of relationships, insight into gay partnerships?