Sunset Song

Quite a few years ago now, Terence Davies made - quite possibly - the greatest British film...for that, we thank him.

Alas, this is not even a close contender...

For a classic piece of Scottish literature has been butchered...by the adpatation, by the accents, by the casting, by negligent, niggling details.

The one thing that does shine is the cinematography...Scotland & New Zealand have never looked more beautiful. Mr Davies certainly knows how to frame a shot.

The pairing of Agyness Deyn and Kevin Guthrie was a dubious decision...they are like chalk and cheese...accents, heights and acting abilities are the obvious differentials. But...there's no chemistry...they - simply - don't look right together. They don't fit. As for that bloody accent, loch is not pronounced lock...close the back of your throat, force out the air...as if it were your last breath...that's loch. Quite possibly, the greatest shibboleth known to vocal coaches! Ms Deyn obviously had no vocal coaching.

There rest of the cast do West Coast...there's neither hint nor trace of the Doric.

The film follows the classic three act structure. The first act is dominated and ably played by Peter Mullan's one-string bow...the man does the same thing over and over again. His character is so reprehensible, that any (obvious) calamity coming to him is a blessing.

Act 2 is all about the ill-fitting couple...love's young dream after - what can only be described as - one helluva dull wedding on Hogmanay! As for the anglicised Auld Lang Syne...c'mon! Could the Scottish actors present not stand up and say to their director: this is not how it's sung?!?

Act 3...this is where it really becomes unstuck. So...affable, sweet-natured Ewan is called a coward and, duly, enlists. He returns as an unrecognisable, ill-mannered, raping ogre...in a kilt! To be honest, he looks daft...he's just not the kilt-wearing sort-of-man.

There's no explanation...nothing to show that...war makes monsters out of men. We just have to believe that he has experienced terrible, character-changing things. A glimpse of him in action, perhaps...rather than an overly-long shot of an abandoned battlefield...actions speak louder than words! Speaking of words...that voice-over is unnecessary...it's a film, not a documentary!

There's a sloppy flashback...which could have/should have been fantastic. First, it shouldn't have been a flashback...it would have been more effective if it had been incorporated into the timeline...and, second, as for the flapping 'X' - it would have been fixed before...! No spoilers here!

It's fair to say...a beautiful-looking film ruined by so many vital components.

A great, great shame. Read the book.

Trailer...