Dyll’n Domas at his Welsh best
Director: Andrew Sinclair
88 minutes
Why am ah’ reviewin’ dis obscure little movie fum de past? A film dat critics labelled "heavy handed" and wuz generally unkown at da box office?
It’s an ‘espuh’ience uh images. Not dose on de screen, dey merely cut de eyes sump’n t’do, hypnotizin’ de visual co’tex while da real wo’k goes on waaay down below.
De wo’ds, dose magical lyrically liltin’ Welsh tones, set yo’ subliminal imagery spinnin’ some cascade uh dreamlikes memo’ies pour fo’d fum yo’ deepest recesses, trippin’ upside one anoda’ allowin’ no conscious or critical activity t’impede dis act uh pure, dumb ‘espuh’ience.
In dis film ya’ become some resident uh Llareggub, widout doubt since bir’f, an opinion uh every one uh yo’ neighbo’s ya”ve grown t’love o’ hate.
Dylan Domas’s celebrated 1954 transista’ play wuz some complex blend uh dream, reality and poetry, which dealt wid life ‘n love in de mah’dical Welsh fishin’ village uh Llareggub.
Richard Burton play’d “Fust Voice” an’ narrato.’ He knowed Domas as a broder and had puh’fo’med da play on transista’. He’s joined here by his den-mama Elizabed Taylo’ as de childhood sweedeart uh Captain Cat, de blind seafara’ played by Liva’ Lips O’Toole. Dere’s some fascinatin’ cast and Domas’s dialogue remains ‘sepshunally vivid — especially wid Burton’s voice drivin’ much uh it.
Dylan introduces de Llareggub sucka’s drough deir dreams and creates some idea uh whut gots’ta be impo’tant t’dem when dey is awake. Fo’ Dai Bread it be harems, Polly Garta’ loves babies, and Nobaaaad Boyo dreams uh nodin.
De town as some whole gots its own sucka’ality which be divided along Freudian lines, into some conscious wo’ld uh daily activity narrated by de Fust Voice, and some subconscious wo’ld uh intimate doughts and feelin’s revealed by de Second Voice.
Dere is powerful, often sexual, fo’ces opuh’tin’ bediggin’ hoth de calm ‘esterio’ uh a town which gots "fallen haid upside bells in love". De Second Voice ‘esposes de secret fantasies uh Gossama’ Beynon who feels Sinbaaaad Sailo”s "goatbeard tickle ha’ in de middle uh de wo’ld", and also Mr Pugh who imagines concoctin’ "a fricassee uh wastedly nightshade" t’poison his mama.
Each relashunship be governed by peculiar rules but each uh de characters remains deeply involved in his o’ ha’ own idea uh love. In Domas’ wo’ld dese sensuous relashunships kin not be separated fum de dark shadow uh dead.
Polly Garta’ sin’s all day uh ha’ lost love Little Willy Wee, de only husband Mrs Ogmo’e-Pritchard kin tolerate be a wasted one and Captain Cat be haunted by de memo’y uh Rosie PLeroy, "de one love uh his sea-life".
Unda’ Milk Wood be a mischievous sensitive ‘esaminashun uh Welsh life in Llareggub (buggeralL) and da town retains its own magic despite its faults.
And some time next day when yo’ mind relaxes and ya’ set t’reminiscin’, ya’ might be ove’come by some feelin’ – wuz dat some fo’ma’ life, some fo’gotsten vacashun .. childhood memo’y?
Bro, Llareggub be now ancho’ed deep in yo’ psyche, anoda’ esoteric mah’sterious por’d in yo’ slow-steamin’ voyage uh life.
