No Resting Place
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| No Resting Place | |
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| Directed by | Paul Rotha |
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| Produced by | Colin Lesslie |
| Starring | Michael Gough Eithne Dunne Noel Purcell |
| Cinematography | Wolfgang Suschitzky |
| Edited by | Michael Orrom |
| Music by | William Alwyn |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
| Template:Pluralize from text | United Kingdom |
| Template:Pluralize from text | English |
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No Resting Place is a 1951 British film directed by Paul Rotha and starring Michael Gough, Eithne Dunne and Noel Purcell.[1] It was written by Colin Lesslie, Rotha, and Michael Orrom based on the 1948 novel of the same title by Ian Niall, and produced by Colin Lesslie Productions. It is noteworthy for its early use of location shooting[2] and for bringing the acting style of Dublin's Abbey Theatre to the screen,[3] as well as being the fiction feature debut of Rotha and cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky.
Plot summary
An Irish Traveller is relentlessly pursued by a policeman after accidentally killing a gamekeeper.
Cast
- Michael Gough as Alec Kyle
- Eithne Dunne as Meg Kyle
- Noel Purcell as Garda Mannigan
- Brian O'Higgins as Tam
- Jack MacGowran as Billy
- Christy Lawrence as Paddy
- Diana Campbell
Production
It was the first fiction film directed by Rotha, formerly a documentary maker.[4] The film draws on Rotha's documentary background as well as Italian neo-Realism, with scenes of rural and domestic life particularly showing the influence of his documentaries.[2] It was made for a low budget of 60,000 GBP.[5]
It was shot entirely on location in Wicklow, Ireland by cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky.[6] It was the first film as cinematographer for Suschitzky, who went on to photograph films including Get Carter.
The soundtrack was by William Alwyn, using a small ensemble of traditional Irish instruments: harp, flute, and violin.[2]
Apart from stars Michael Gough and Noel Purcell, Rotha drew the cast from Irish theatres including the Abbey Theatre and Irish radio.[2] It is regarded by some critics as part of an Abbey school of filmmaking that aimed to mimic the realism of contemporary mainland-European film.[3]
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "In its descriptions of the tinker community No Resting Place achieves a simple authenticity, draws fresh and sympathetic portraits of the Kyle family, and brings vivid pictorial detail to its impression of the Irish landscape. The second half of the film is rather overwhelmed by the demands of the plot; the figure of Mannigan is at once too complex and too arbitrary for the rest of the drama ...Filmed entirely on location in Ireland (and beautifully photographed by Wolfgang Suschitzky), the film's points of interest are numerous: it is the first feature film of the distinguished documentary director, Paul Rotha: it is one of the few British attempts at an intimate realistic work shot against natural backgrounds, and derives in method from the post-war Italian cinema."[7]
The Manchester Guardian applauded the truthfulness of its depiction of the Irish countryside and Gough's performance, and commended it for a more truthful portrayal of Ireland than the traditional stage Irish cliches, while suggesting it could do with a bit more poetry.[5]
Variety wrote: "Scenically, it is a film of merit. Photography captures the Irish atmosphere, and Rotha's direction never tends to whip up a false pace. The story is full of leisurely incident and is told in a-restrained, dignified key. ... Michael Gough, as the tinker, and Eithne Dunne, as his wife, contribute performances that compel by their sincerity. Noel Purcell is too much of a heavy as the civic guard, but the remainder of the cast convinces with moving portrayals."[8]
Ian Johnson praises moments of touching emotional clarity but criticises "inept scripting" and a poor ending, probably imposed by censors.[2]
Accolades
At the 1952 British Academy Film Awards, it was nominated for Best Film from any Source and Best British Film.[9]
References
Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."No Resting Place". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Johnson, Ian (2005). William Alwyn: The Art of Film Music. Boydell Press. p. 235. ISBN 9781843831594.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kevin Rockett; Luke Gibbons; John Hill (1987). Cinema and Ireland. Taylor & Francis. pp. 104–105. ISBN 9780709942160.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Easen, Sarah. "Paul Rotha". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New Films in London". Manchester Guardian. Jul 14, 1951. p. 3.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ellis, David (2011). Conversations with Cinematographers. Scarecrow Press. p. 177. ISBN 9780810881273.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."No Resting Place". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 18 (204): 309. 1 January 1951. Template:ProQuest.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."No Resting Place". Variety. 183 (8): 18. 1 August 1951. Template:ProQuest.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Film Awards: 1952 Results". BAFTA. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
