Under Milk Wood

There is no way on earth that this film can ever compare visually with the lyrical lines written by Dylan Thomas.

Although it is nice to hear Burton speak the words of his great idol, the inclusion of Elizabeth Taylor as Rosie Probert is a mistake.

Full marks to Peter O'Toole for a fine effort as Captain Cat.

This is a marvelous piece of theater (yes: theater) put on a roll of film and released as a movie. The images are not that important, the real importance lies in the WORDS: the way the words are connected one to the other in the text, with silences, spaces, italics and all, and the way they are PRONOUNCED. This is a work for voices, conceived by Dylan Thomas (I think) for the radio, not for the TV (1954). As a matter of fact the subtitle says: "A Play for Voices". And here you have almost the best as far as voices are concerned: Burton, O'Toole, the others. You could as well shut your eyes and simply listen. I did it, and found myself dreamily trying to follow the rhythm of the voices

I agree with many of the review comments already posted here, so I won't say more about the film itself. Instead, it hasn't yet been pointed out that the DVD (produced by Sundance and Hart Sharp Video) also contains an hour-long documentary about Dylan Thomas, tucked away in the extra features. "Dylan on Dylan" is in some ways more interesting than the film adaptation of _Under Milkwood_. It runs through a biography of him along with old photos and audio, bits of biodrama reenacted, and especially includes footage from the WWII wartime morale propaganda films that Dylan Thomas wrote! One of those is a genuinely forceful parody: he appropriated the original propaganda film made _for_ Hitler by Reni Riefenstahl, and redid the sound -- so that Hitler's speech is more of an honest description.

This feature documentary also includes a brief interview with two actresses who performed with Dylan Thomas live in _Under Milkwood_ virtually on the same day that he collapsed and died.

Dylan Thomas' play for voices has always worked best as a radio text, where its rich poetry can be fully appreciated. This film version is indeed true to the text but as a visual medium, is saddled with the need to open out and show scenes as described in the text - with sometimes risible results.

However, there are certain strengths that even the filmed treatment can't ruin. Chief amongst these are Peter O'Toole's interpretation of the blind Captain Cat, dreaming of his lost love, Rosie Probert (played by an overly made-up Elizabeth Taylor); and O'Toole's then wife, Sian Phillips, as Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, abusing both her dead husbands as they lie with her. Polly Garter and Myfanwy Price, Thomas' corrupt and innocent, are well-played by Ann Beach and Glynis Johns.

Richard Burton is 1st Voice, as he was in the memorable radio production of the 1950s. But here he is also a malevolent presence wandering quietly round the village of Llareggub, influencing the action at some points (the scene in the barn seemed out-of-place and slowed the pace of this film). I'm not knocking Burton's voice, which was superb for the material, but perhaps his presence would have been better restricted to a narrator.

The movie is a painting of scenes, and a romance with English words that, oddly enough, only Celtic people seem capable of; Welshman Burton's riveting voice gives life to his countryman's work like perhaps none living could, today . The language is so lively and the metaphors so concentrated that the film may leave some scratching their heads; but for lovers of poetry, or literature at large, this well-conceived and directed interpretation of Dylan is worth the viewing. Peter O'Toole and Elizabeth Taylor give interesting performances, and the film contains several scenes that will stay with the viewer long after the film is over. The lush countryside of seaside Wales, and the sleepy little village in which the action plays out, are also quite haunting. Llareggub, indeed.