Upon its release in 1987 , the film was generally well received by critics . Rita Kempley , writing in The Washington Post suggested " It 's all rather Arthurian , with its chivalric hero on his spiritual quest , the atmosphere suffused , seeming to dance with once and future truths . " Tom Hutchinson in the Mail on Sunday praised " a script whose delight is in the rounded reality of its characters " . Janet Maslin , writing in The New York Times praised O 'Connor 's direction , suggesting it lent the film " a strong sense of yearning , as well as a spiritual quality more apparent in the look of the film than in its dialogue . " Desmond Ryan of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote " Rarely have the impossibility of love been more wrenchingly presented than in the scenes of dashed hope between Firth and Richardson .