I'm an Englishman living in Aberdeenshire, close to the supposed setting of this film. I have not read the Grassic Gibbon novel on which the film is based. I am very used to hearing the local (Doric) accent. Throughout, the film LOOKS magnificent — a tribute to its cinematographer, Michael McDonough — but there the praise has to end. The plot is a relentless succession of downbeat events, most of them hackneyed clichés, directed with a self-indulgent, self-important style that results in every scene taking five times longer than necessary to play. We have the brutal father who gets his comeuppance, to nobody's surprise; the long-suffering mother who can finally take it no more; the young girl experiencing the first pangs of her sexuality; the young father having to go to fight in World War I, and more. I'm sure these were all part of the original novel, and were probably fresh for their time, but their sheer predictability make the over-longeurs irritating. For Scottish viewers, the film may give a boost to the current drives for independence. Others on this site have picked up on the inaccuracies (I had the English 'For THE SAKE OF auld lang syne driven out of me years ago'). But the fact that some of the film was shot as far away as New Zealand to produce views of 'authentic Scottish scenery' feels an unnecessary step too far, considering the way Scots regard the views of their native land as one of the major attractions of this part of the world. The film is all about the character Chris Guthrie, played by Agyness Deyn. To borrow an old cliché (it seems appropriate) this actress covers the gamut from A to B. She has two facial expressions, plus tears, and gives no sense of comprehending her role from within. Each movement and gesture looks as if it has been explained to her by the director: her total lack of spontaneity is the prime reason for non-suspension of disbelief. Her attempt at a local accent is abysmal. One lighter note: obstetricians will be delighted to learn that an on-screen birth in the olde tymes depicted still involves calls for bowls of hot water, a doctor with bloodied arms and a view of the overwrought father listening to screams from the bedroom above. The screams stop abruptly, to be replaced by the cry of a neonate. Haven't seen this one for some years, so it's great to know the protocol is still with us.
Review of Sunset Song
