GODS OWN COUNTRY REVIEW

Sep 28, 2017
2 min read

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY REVIEW

Gods Own Country has been called ' The Better British Brokeback Mountain'. Both films follow a homosexual relationship in an intensely masculine and laborious setting.

Set in Yorkshire we see the relationship of Johnny Saxby who's family have lived and worked on the same farm for years. Gheorghe Ionescu is a migrant worker from Romania is coming to help John on the farm during Lambing Season. We are shown the intimacy of their relationship and how they closely effect one another.

The pacing of the film is slow. The first shot of the film lasts uncomfortably over 8 seconds, showing a cottage with one light on shining through the window to emphasise Johns excruciating loneliness. This slow pacing was chosen to allow the film to establish the characters personalities in a way that the audience can truly grow an appreciation for. This is an essential part of the film's success, we see every detail of these characters lives and thus share part of the struggle and bond they experience. The actor's performances are inspiring and play a huge role in bringing the relationship to life, you can feel the passion between them which is what makes the story so indulging and captivating.

The film presents homosexuality in a unique way uncommon to other films. Rather than purely focusing on outside issues like discrimination and homophobia, the struggles of the relationship instead come from John and Gheorghe themselves as they struggle to express themselves freely. Throughout the film, they find it difficult to voice their emotions and feelings, rather only do so through physical means. Even at the start of the relationship, there is no verbal confirmation of where their relationship stands and what it means. This, in turn, makes it incredibly moving and beautiful when we finally hear them be able to voice their desires verbally. We can see that the two have helped each other grow and develop their own personalities.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the film, I thought it was expertly crafted. Everything on screen and everything said, was there to move the plot forward and help the audience feel more connected to the characters. This created a film that was deeply powerful and moving where we can grow a love for the characters relationship.