D. H. Lawrence has been filmed so far in two ways; prudishly or crudely obvious. In his work he was neither, and yet all the films I have seen of his work have failed. Ken Russell was crude with 'Women in Love' and boringly prudish with 'The Rainbow'. As for 'Lady Chatterley's Lover', no one has filmed it properly and it is unlikely it ever will be. Jack Cardiff clearly thought this book was 'tamer' than the other books I have mentioned and made a sort of Classics Illustrated comic with the book's content. Having just read the book I would like to remind those that have not read it that three quarters of this over 500 page book is devoted to the lead character Paul (played awkwardly by Dean Stockwell) and his relationship with his mother (Wendy Hiller doing her best) and Miriam, a neighbouring young woman (Heather Sears should be praised for accepting the role). In this film that three quarters is given hardly any time at all and that is the main flaw. Clara Dawes who is Paul's next love takes centre stage nearly 400 pages in but I must admit Mary Ure is for me the best actor in this film. She gives the film a much deserved eroticism, where the rest of the cast fail completely. In one scene in the book the mother passionately kisses her son William twice, and the sexuality is clear. In the film William is not so passionately loved by her, and her other son Arthur is killed off in a mine disaster whereas in the book he does not die but joins the army. I know liberties can and have to be taken, but betraying the book's whole sexual atmosphere is a betrayal too far. Jack Cardiff goes along with the betrayal, and makes it an almost sexless film. Trevor Howard as the father has too much of the film, and even he seems to be 'acting' instead of 'being' the character. The worst offender is Dean Stockwell who gives one of the most passionless acting performances of the lot, and being the main character should have known better. He was reasonably good in 'Compulsion' where he plays a weak homosexual child killer, but certainly not here. As for the much praised music, it is over fierce in some scenes and has a sickly theme when it tries to portray emotion. A phoney film that is a dishonour to D. H. Lawrence. I give it a 4 grudgingly accepting that the camera work is good, but good camera work relies on content to be truly successful. Read the book!
Review of Sons and Lovers
