Reel Top Five: Scottish Films
In today's Guide column I discussed the output of one of the forgotten sons of Scottish filmmaking, Bill Douglas, on the eve of a new Blu-ray release of his classic trilogy made up of My Childhood, My Ain Folk and My Way Home.
Born and raised in Newcraighall, Douglas' films were based on his early life and filmed in the mining village in the 1970s. The director's work would go on to make an impact around the world with film fans and makers.
In honour of this release, here, in no particular order, are five of my favourite Scottish-themed movies:
5. The Maggie (1954)
Like many of the best Ealing Studios films, Scottish-American born director Alexander Mackendrick's first Scottish-themed film (see number 3 in this list for his second) is a culture-clash comedy in which the captain of a puffer boat, The Maggie of the title, is forced to outwit an American businessman on a tour of the isles. While there's never much doubt as to who'll win, it fun finding out how.
4. Gregory's Girl (1981)
Blossoming romance in the suburbs of Cumbernauld may not sound like the perfect setting for a smash hit comedy, but in Gregory's Girl writer/director Bill Forsyth struck gold. John Gordon Sinclair gives a career-best performance as lovestruck teen Gregory while sight-gags (remember that penguin?) and clever asides pepper the film. Ranked 30th in the British Film Institute's list of top 100 British films, Gregory's glory has clearly not been tarnished by the lame 1999 sequel Gregory's Two Girls.
3. Whisky Galore (1949)
Take a classic novel based on a true story - during World War Two a ship, the SS Politician, carrying 24,000 cases of whisky, sank off the West Coast of Scotland leaving locals to salvage the contents - add the magic of Ealing Studios and a cast of well known actors and you have the recipe for the movie equivalent of a hot toddy. It might be 60 years old but age has not withered the film's quality or Alexander Mackendrick's eye for a good camera angle.
2. Highlander (1986)
There Can Be Only One! shouted the tagline to Highlander the 1986 low-budget sci-fi actioner that took the world by storm. Sadly the makers didn't heed their own ideas and Highlander spawned a series of duff sequels, two TV series, an animated show, an anime film and an audio series. Forget all that and remember the bonkers script, Sean Connery as an Egyptian, memorable one-liners, dodgy FX and even dodgier accents that combined to make the film a genre classic.
1. Local Hero (1983)
Mere Scottish whimsy or a biting satire on the encroaching menace of multinational corporations on Britain's green and pleasant land? Whatever your take on Bill Forsyth's story of an American executive (Peter Reigert) who is sent to a small Scottish village to prepare for its purchase by his oil-rich boss (Burt Lancaster), Local Hero rewards repeat viewings thanks to its brilliantly realised characters and sadness-tinged script. And then there's THAT theme tune, so beloved of tacky Princess Street shops till this day, which is both uplifting and tragic at the same time. A near-flawless film.
Those are my top five - what have I missed?
Born and raised in Newcraighall, Douglas' films were based on his early life and filmed in the mining village in the 1970s. The director's work would go on to make an impact around the world with film fans and makers.
In honour of this release, here, in no particular order, are five of my favourite Scottish-themed movies:
5. The Maggie (1954)
Like many of the best Ealing Studios films, Scottish-American born director Alexander Mackendrick's first Scottish-themed film (see number 3 in this list for his second) is a culture-clash comedy in which the captain of a puffer boat, The Maggie of the title, is forced to outwit an American businessman on a tour of the isles. While there's never much doubt as to who'll win, it fun finding out how.
4. Gregory's Girl (1981)
Blossoming romance in the suburbs of Cumbernauld may not sound like the perfect setting for a smash hit comedy, but in Gregory's Girl writer/director Bill Forsyth struck gold. John Gordon Sinclair gives a career-best performance as lovestruck teen Gregory while sight-gags (remember that penguin?) and clever asides pepper the film. Ranked 30th in the British Film Institute's list of top 100 British films, Gregory's glory has clearly not been tarnished by the lame 1999 sequel Gregory's Two Girls.
3. Whisky Galore (1949)
Take a classic novel based on a true story - during World War Two a ship, the SS Politician, carrying 24,000 cases of whisky, sank off the West Coast of Scotland leaving locals to salvage the contents - add the magic of Ealing Studios and a cast of well known actors and you have the recipe for the movie equivalent of a hot toddy. It might be 60 years old but age has not withered the film's quality or Alexander Mackendrick's eye for a good camera angle.
2. Highlander (1986)
There Can Be Only One! shouted the tagline to Highlander the 1986 low-budget sci-fi actioner that took the world by storm. Sadly the makers didn't heed their own ideas and Highlander spawned a series of duff sequels, two TV series, an animated show, an anime film and an audio series. Forget all that and remember the bonkers script, Sean Connery as an Egyptian, memorable one-liners, dodgy FX and even dodgier accents that combined to make the film a genre classic.
1. Local Hero (1983)
Mere Scottish whimsy or a biting satire on the encroaching menace of multinational corporations on Britain's green and pleasant land? Whatever your take on Bill Forsyth's story of an American executive (Peter Reigert) who is sent to a small Scottish village to prepare for its purchase by his oil-rich boss (Burt Lancaster), Local Hero rewards repeat viewings thanks to its brilliantly realised characters and sadness-tinged script. And then there's THAT theme tune, so beloved of tacky Princess Street shops till this day, which is both uplifting and tragic at the same time. A near-flawless film.
Those are my top five - what have I missed?
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3 Comments:
Definitely agree with Local Hero being Number 1. It's one of the things that brought me to Scotland. I know there's a lot of popular discontent on this point, but I'd argue that Braveheart deserves a spot. Notwithstanding historical inaccuracies, questionable shooting locales and the general nuttiness of the star/director, it's an epic bit of movie-making and probably a source of great income to the Scottish economy. (Go ahead, let the arrows fly!)
Another couple that spring to mind. Restless Natives and That Sinking Feeling
I have a soft spot for Braveheart - forget about the historical problems and you have a good old fashioned adventure with a memorable bad guy in the late great Patrick McGoohan and a not-so-bad accent from Gibbo.
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