Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man, A (1977) Rating: Starring: John Gielgud, Bosco Hogan, David Kelly, T.P. Mckenna Director: Joseph Strick Category: Drama Studio: Image Ent. Subtitles: [None] Length: 92 mins     "Packed with great passages of the Joycean language.The cast is superb."-Vincent Canby, N.Y. Times Often called the most influential writer of the 20th century, James Joyce wrote his first novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, about his own coming of age in turn-of-the-century Dublin.Joyce's alter ego, Stephen Dedalus, awakens to his talents as a writer while he wrestles with the oppressive fetters of authority imposed by family, government, and the church, only finding solace in the arms of prostitutes.Through his struggles, Dedalus is able to find his own voice and finally realize a strong, mature consciousness.He is able to break from society, choosing a self-imposed exile from his homeland to pursue his art. Returning to the daunting task of translating Joyce to the screen is Academy Award -winning filmmaker Joseph Strick.His adaptation of Joyce's Ulysses was honored with an Oscar-nomination and won overwhelming critical praise for capturing the tone and texture of Joyce's prose.Bosco Hogan (In The Name of The Father) and Oscar-winner Sir John Gielgud are joined by an all-Irish cast in this intense depiction of the development of a young man and the birth pangs of creative genius.