Mr. Burton
[Showtimes and trailer at Tropiccinema.com]

Director Marc Evans (Patagonia) illustrates the origin story of actor Richard Burton in “Mr. Burton.” The eerie story of two men on the cusp of creative awareness is one part a coming-of-age story and one part  Pygmalion. 

Intense and emotive, this is an affecting portrait of two men transformed, energized and tortured by the dramatic arts.

Richard Jenkins ( Harry Lawtey) is a sensitive and mostly silent dark haired young man with dream-lidded eyes. He lives with his sister (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) and husband Elfed James ( Aneurin Barnard) in a cement block compound in the mining town of Port Talbot, Wales. Richard’s mother died when he was two years of age. His father (Steffan Rhodri) is a 12 pint a day drinker, derelict and irresponsible.

Richard is under constant guilt that he doesn’t do enough. Macho Elfed labels him as lazy and urges him to become a miner, but Richard resists. Literature class provides the only release.

One day in class, the young man catches the attention of instructor Philip Burton (Toby Jones). Philip likes the contrast of his sensitive handsome looks combined with his rich voice that speaks of the Earth. From that day forward Richard enjoys reading and recitation.

Philip encourages him, suggesting that the young man stay with him and landlady Ma (Lesley Manville).

Under Philip’s mentorship, Richard secures the part of Glan in The Druid’s Rest. But Philip has even better news: he secured a space for Richard at Oxford. However, there is one sticking point; because of Richard‘s lower class background, he is all but certain to be rejected in academic circles. Philip therefore proposes to adopt Richard.

But Richard’s invariably inebriated father Dic refuses unless cash demands are met.

At parties, the extremely troubled Richard drinks heavily like his dad and goes into meanness and near rage, insecure about his promise of notoriety.

The two exchange looks of shock, anger and grief.

Toby Jones turns another solid performance as Philip, known as P.H., Mr. Burton. He is a powder-keg of simmering emotion with equal parts panic and confident deliberation.

For his part, Harry Lawtey is wondrous as the photogenic and charismatic young actor on the verge. Byronic youth caresses his chiseled features, but darkness waits within.

The last scene is eerie and foreboding, depicting Richard as a mask of glamour in his role of Henry V, the star-making appearance at Stratford-upon-Avon. Mr. Burton looks on, clearly aware of his own power. The scene echoes Wilde’s Dorian Gray, the eternal youth of Richard under the crafted manipulation of Philip, in his own way, a loving Svengali.

This is an excellent study of the theatrical and sometimes very angry engine that became Richard Burton, the most famous actor in the 20th century to come from Wales.

In later life, Philip Burton was a Key West resident, a storehouse of thespian wisdom and his aura remains ensconced on Angela Street in his unpainted Halloween-wooded home.

Write Ian at ianfree1@icloud.com

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