I'm not a fan of most British film making, although modern British films are quite good. But back in the 1930s until at least the 1960s...well, it's a rare British film I'm impressed with. This is one of those rare British films.
I watched it primarily because I wanted to see Wendy Hiller. I'm always impressed with her, although I've only seen her in films when she was much older (such as "Toys In The Attic"). She was a gem...and that is certainly true here. Being that I usually don't watch British films, I was not familiar with Roger Livesey, the male romantic lead. To Americans I guess he seems like an odd romantic lead, but I rather liked him once I adjusted my thinking. The other performances are (sometimes) a bit odd, but interesting. And I was particularly interested in seeing Finlay Currie as the old man. I found his fascinating as a follower of Christ in "Ben-Hur", and as Cary Grant's odd friend in "People Will Talk". Of course, as a Scotsman, he was probably more at home here in this movie filmed mostly in Scotland! Along with an interesting cast, I was also impressed with the dramatic scenery and vivid black and white photography...although there were a few places where the photography seemed a tad amateurish (such as one scene where vignetting is clearly evident). Both in terms of the natural photography, and in terms of the culture, this film probably gives one a better sense of what Scotland is really like...or at least was really like. Stunning and interesting. The whirlpool in the boat segment...a bit amateurish compared to today's special effects, but quite impressive for 1945. And by the way, that whirlpool really does exist in Scotland to this day.
The story is not particularly unique -- girl on her way to marry a rich man living in Scotland meets a poor man and falls in love. Will she follow love or money? While the plot may be rather traditional, the characters and settings and some of the situations are unique, and that makes the film very interesting.
Is it a great film? Well, in my mind it's an extraordinarily good film. But Martin Scorsese once wrote that, "I reached the point of thinking there were no more masterpieces to discover, until I saw I Know Where I'm Going!" Highly recommended, especially for the performance by Wendy Hiller, who -- in a review here on IMDb for another of her films -- one of our reviewers wrote, "she can do no wrong!" I second that opinion.
I watched it primarily because I wanted to see Wendy Hiller. I'm always impressed with her, although I've only seen her in films when she was much older (such as "Toys In The Attic"). She was a gem...and that is certainly true here. Being that I usually don't watch British films, I was not familiar with Roger Livesey, the male romantic lead. To Americans I guess he seems like an odd romantic lead, but I rather liked him once I adjusted my thinking. The other performances are (sometimes) a bit odd, but interesting. And I was particularly interested in seeing Finlay Currie as the old man. I found his fascinating as a follower of Christ in "Ben-Hur", and as Cary Grant's odd friend in "People Will Talk". Of course, as a Scotsman, he was probably more at home here in this movie filmed mostly in Scotland! Along with an interesting cast, I was also impressed with the dramatic scenery and vivid black and white photography...although there were a few places where the photography seemed a tad amateurish (such as one scene where vignetting is clearly evident). Both in terms of the natural photography, and in terms of the culture, this film probably gives one a better sense of what Scotland is really like...or at least was really like. Stunning and interesting. The whirlpool in the boat segment...a bit amateurish compared to today's special effects, but quite impressive for 1945. And by the way, that whirlpool really does exist in Scotland to this day.
The story is not particularly unique -- girl on her way to marry a rich man living in Scotland meets a poor man and falls in love. Will she follow love or money? While the plot may be rather traditional, the characters and settings and some of the situations are unique, and that makes the film very interesting.
Is it a great film? Well, in my mind it's an extraordinarily good film. But Martin Scorsese once wrote that, "I reached the point of thinking there were no more masterpieces to discover, until I saw I Know Where I'm Going!" Highly recommended, especially for the performance by Wendy Hiller, who -- in a review here on IMDb for another of her films -- one of our reviewers wrote, "she can do no wrong!" I second that opinion.