SUNSET SONG Trailer

Writer/director Terence Davies has released only two narrative features since the turn of the millennium, The House of Mirth and The Deep Blue Sea. Both are acclaimed pieces about a woman trapped by circumstance, which makes his dogged fascination with the poor Scottish farm girl at the center of Sunset Song perfectly understandable.

He pitched the film fifteen years ago but was unable to land financial backing, shelving the project after even an open letter in The Guardian didn’t bear fruit. However, the project was unearthed in the wake of the 2010 U.K. funding shakeup, with the British Film Institute giving a vote of confidence to the renowned director and the classic novel (same name) on which the film is based.

Something about the yearning of these women must resonate deeply with Davies, enveloping them as he does with grand backdrops that swell their stories to epic proportions. Sunset Song looks like it has all of these trappings in spades with a tried-and-true plot to support it.

Like some of his other films, Davies made an unconventional choice for his leading lady, hiring former model Agyness Deyn to carry the film. She’s got a sparse filmography, so for most of us this will be the first time we see her flex that particular muscle. Uncertainty surrounding the lead role isn’t the best of signs, but Davies was smart enough to put The House of Mirth on Gillian Anderson’s shoulders back when she was only known for The X-Files. That’s far from the worst track record you could have.

At worst, Sunset Song will be gorgeous to look at. At best, it will be a modern exemplar of the old-fashioned epics we so rarely get anymore.

Sunset Song is directed by Terence Davies and stars Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan, and Kevin Guthrie. It has already been released in the U.K. and will arrive in the U.S. on May 13th, 2016. International release dates can be found here.

Are you excited for the return of Terence Davies? Let us know in the comments!