A documentary on the life of the people of the Aran Islands, who were believed to contain the essence of the ancient Irish life, represented by a pure uncorrupted peasant existence centred around the struggle between man and his hostile but magnificent surroundings. A blend of documentary and fictional narrative, the film captures the everyday trials of life on Ireland's unforgiving Aran Islands.
[Director Robert Flaherty's] picture is beautiful but occasionally dull and almost altogether too happy, and still beautiful, better than anything else around.
T
Times (UK) Staff
RTThe Times (UK)May 11, 2021
Mr. Ralph Richardson makes Drummond as brave and as stupid on the screen as he is in print, and Mr. Francis L. Sullivan revels in the opportunities for villainy the story affords him.
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Paul Rotha
RTSight & SoundJul 10, 2018
There are moments in the film which are among the greatest things that cinema can show, which means at the least that they provide both a mental and a physical experience which is unforgettable.
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C.A. Lejeune
RTObserver (UK)May 11, 2021
Man of Aran is lovely to look at -- sincere, virile, and understanding. It has been made by a man who loves the place and the people, and his passion has been communicated in every shot.
