Sons and Lovers

A slack and superficial adaptation of Lawrence's novel. Laudably avoiding the temptation to sensationalise Paul Morel's amorous adventures, the film finds little else to stress, since these affairs take up an awful lot of screen time, while the character's inner conflicts (with his background, his mother etc) are left ill-defined and inconclusive. Great care has been taken with the period atmosphere (splendid camerawork by Freddie Francis), but the rather stiffly literary dialogue makes it all look like a series of animated Edwardian tableaux.