Overview

"Alexander Mackendrick's first feature film ""Whisky Galore!"" (1949), based on the novel by Compton Mackenzie, pits the crafty islanders of Todday against the Customs and Excise men trying to halt their illegal consumption of whisky. His film ""The Maggie"", the adventures of a decrepit River Clyde cargo boat, was released in 1953. Both films offer distinctive representations of Scotland and the Scots, a theme that Colin McArthur pursues in this lively guide to the two films. He explores the wider context of a Britain experiencing and emerging from post-war austerity, as well as the role of Ealing Studios, for which Mackendrick made both films. McArthur examines the tastes and perceptions of reviewers and audiences, both British and American, at the time of the films' release, as well as changed contemporary perspectives. He pays particular attention to the career of Alexander Mackendrick and offers the controversial argument that while their representations of ""Scottishness"" may be suspect, the films themselves are of great artistic integrity and accomplishment."

Full Product Details

Author:   Colin McArthur
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   I.B. Tauris
Dimensions:   Width: 13.80cm , Height: 1.60cm , Length: 21.60cm
Weight:   0.376kg
ISBN:  

9781860646331

ISBN 10:   1860646336
Pages:   128
Publication Date:   23 August 2002
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Reviews

"Sight & Sound: ""his perspective yields some sharp insights into the films but does leave on an overall impression that the author is the only man canny enough to see clear"" Film International: ""A useful resource for students and scholars interested in contextualisation rather than mere opinion."" Scottish Studies Review Journal: ""the doyen of Scottish film criticism...fascinating"" ""wealth of anecdotal detail"" ""reminds by example that scholars can be active participants within popular culture as as Olympian vivisectionists of the same."""

Sight & Sound: his perspective yields some sharp insights into the films but does leave on an overall impression that the author is the only man canny enough to see clear Film International: A useful resource for students and scholars interested in contextualisation rather than mere opinion. Scottish Studies Review Journal: the doyen of Scottish film criticism...fascinating wealth of anecdotal detail reminds by example that scholars can be active participants within popular culture as as Olympian vivisectionists of the same.

Author Information

Colin McArthur, formerly Head of the Distribution Division of the British Film Institute, teaches and writes extensively on British cinema as well as US cinema and television.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions