Moving ‘Face the Rising Sun’ will get your Irish up
“The rain comes down. The sun shines. Grass grows. Children grow old and die.” That’s about as candid and concise as definitions of life get. And that’s the sort of pragmatic philosophizing that lends “That They May Face the Rising Sun” its distinctive charm and wry Irish wit.
You don’t watch it as much as you let it wash over you as you’re drawn ever deeper into a dying rural county clinging to the last vestiges of tradition and community. The young have fled to England and the States, seeking a more stimulating existence of glitz and glamour. Some will return; most won’t, leaving their elders steeped in loneliness and a bitterness best tempered by a pint and an occasional bent ear.
One of those rare prodigal sons is Joe Ruttledge (Barry Ward), a writer who grew tired of the hustle and bustle of 1980s London and returned five years past with his German-born wife, Kate (Anna Bederke), to the quiet and bucolic countryside his family long called home. The move has done little to spur his productivity as an author, but it’s rendered him a bit of a talk show host, with his stage a rustic farm and the guests a rotating assortment of colorful coots who seem to wander in and out of his and Kate’s warm, cozy kitchen as they please. Not that the couple minds.
In truth, Joe and Kate cherish the company almost as much as the weather-beaten old-timers revel in taking turns occupying the seat next to an antique stove that, like them, has seen better days. They gossip and grouse about the neighbors, largely in good fun. Joe and Kate mostly listen and smile. As do we.
Considering their advanced ages, much of the conversation consists of laments and the inevitability of death in the gloaming of their days. Will they be next to take up permanent residence in the town’s already overcrowded graveyard? An exception is Joe’s uncle, an auto mechanic known only as “The Shah” (John Olohan). He’s planning to marry and start a new chapter. Death dare not knock on his door.
But the Reaper can be counted on to make at least one visit, resulting in one of the film’s most profound moments as Joe is summoned into emergency duty to lay out the body of the poor, departed soul. It’s quite moving as we witness a – excuse the expression – dying ritual in which great care and love go into preparing the deceased for burial.
It’s that same meticulous attention to detail that distinguishes the film. The closest thing to suspense is Kate’s flirtation with returning to London to run the art gallery she helped establish. But director Pat Collins wisely pays it little mind. It’s the characters he’s focused on – their regrets, unfulfilled desires and a smoldering anger that the lives they knew and loved have been lost to time.
In adapting John McGahern’s novel, Collins and co-writer Eamon Little are dedicated to deliberately fleshing out unforgettable characters with typical Irish monikers like Patrick, Johnny, Jamesie and Mary. It’s a slow pace in keeping with the everyday lives of a fraternity that cannot bother with pretention or frivolity. They are salt of the earth people you’d love to call your friends.
Are those pangs of envy we experience observing the simple, peaceful life of Joe and Kate? You bet they are. A lot of that can be attributed to the immense appeal and authenticity projected by a collection of terrific character actors – Sean McGinley, Lalor Roddy, Philip Dolan and Ruth McCabe – bringing their A game to roles that crackle with an irresistible combination of joy and cantankerousness. It’s a level of skill matched only by Richard Kendrick’s breathtaking cinematography and a haunting piano score by Linda and Irene Buckley. And don’t get me started on the verdant, natural beauty of what is truly an enchanted land. They don’t call it the “Emerald Isle” for nothing.
Alas, we’re only privy to one brief year in the lives of these gentle souls, but what we glean stems from a lifetime of hard-learned truths and a commitment to always being real. No airs here, just plain folks, the kind that hold their heads high and courageously weather any storm that comes their way.
Movie review
That They May Face the Rising Sun
Rated: Not rated
Cast: Barry Ward, Anna Bederke, Sean McGinley, Lalor Roddy, Phillip Dolan, John Olohan and Ruth McCabe
Director: Pat Collins
Writers: Pat Collins and Eamon Little
Runtime: 111 minutes
Where: In theaters (limited) and streaming April 11
Grade: A-
