Customer Reviews

I Know Where I'm Going! (Full Screen)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"I know where I'm going,

I know who's going with me,"

A young lady (Windy Hiller) pretty much knows what she wants in life. On her way to her wedding on a remote Scottish island she is delayed long enough to experience a different way of life and a reality that she was never exposed to. Here she finds different values and the difference between real nobility and the early version of plastic money. She is overwhelmed by her new discovery and the man (Roger Livesey) who introduced her to it. Now she must desperately escape or be lost forever in this different world.

I was surprised to find that a young girl in the movie was Petula Clark.

There are advantages to having a movie with a story that is not based on a book. You can enjoy the story for what it is and not have to compare. However this may make a good play. In the Criterion extras you will find speculation on the pro's and con's of remaking the movie.

This film is impressive on its own but the Criterion treatment adds many fascinating dimensions that make you have to re-watch the film just to se the parts that you missed while paying attention though the plotline and scenery.

There is a commentary track that covers the entire film. A behind the scenes stills that even has a commentary. Home movies add to the information about the designers of the story and producers. There is a section from "The edge of the World." A great insight and a different way off looking at the story are found in "I Know Where I'm Going! Revisited" a 30 minute making of. The location photo essay allows you to see if the color is what you imagined (maybe better).

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie is one of the more interesting that I have seen. The story follows a woman on the way to her wedding to a wealthy man on an island in Scotland. Inclement weather prevents her from taking a boat to the island and she subsequently meets a naval officer and begins to have feelings for him.

The film has excellent scenery of Mull Island in Scotland.
The DVD special features include a revisit to the sites featured in the film.
There is also a theatrical trailer. There is feature length audio commentary by Ian Christie. There are several home movies made by Director Michael Powell, narrated by his widow Thelma who also narrated a slideshow of production photos on the DVD.

There area also excerpts from Michael Powell's "The Edge of The World" a documentary "Return to the Edge of the World" and another documentary "I Know Where I'm Going! Revisited" by Mark Cousins.

IKWIG (as its creative team of Powell and Pressburger dubbed it) was made on a black-and-white stock right after WWII, when technicolor film and equipment were temporarily unavailable. It was the tale of a London-based woman who has always known what she's wanted all her life, and has decided to marry a wealthy, nice, but elderly business tycoon. ("You can't marry Consolidated Chemical Industries!" sputters her father. "Can't I?" is her reply.) He has rented a sprawling castle on a distant isle of the remote, nature-claimed Hebrides Islands, off the coast of Scotland, and she's traveling to meet him for the wedding, there. Unfortunately, the weather doesn't cooperate, and she's stuck for days one island short of her goal, where she encounters endless local traditions, people, and scenery, along with the young Laird of Killoran. Her desperation to achieve her goal nearly causes the death of several people, and has a profound effect on her understanding of the culture she's dropped into from London.

I would venture to call IKWIG the uber-chick film. It has several of the qualities that succeed so well in romance novels/film making: a self-reliant, intelligent heroine; a rugged hero who is at first perceived as the antagonist; a growth in understanding about the world around her, that allows ultimately for a complete change of POV in the heroine. It is that rare creature, a romance film that isn't a romantic comedy. It has some brilliantly inventive comic moments, especially (and significantly) before the film moves leaves England--like the heroine's dream sequence as she sleeps aboard a train, climaxing in a distant shot from above that has the hills covered in tartan as the train passes into Scotland--but that isn't the focus. (If anything, it is a bit of magical theater that represents a flight *away* from reality, showing us the early values of the heroine; just as the culture she finds in the Hebrides becomes a massive section of magical theater which, less brilliant, hammers away at her preconceptions both through its human and elemental aspects.)

However, there are many things about IKWIG that lift it above the chick film genre presented by such horrific stuff as Scriptless in Seattle. Powell was in love with the Hebrides, and, unusually for a fictional film of this period, IKWIG is filled with the culture of its surroundings. There's no sense of embarassing "types" as in so many Hollywood films-on-location, but rather more than a dozen subsidiary characters, none of them models, who fit naturally into their assigned roles, with or without dialog, and contribute to the film's sense of otherness. The writing is unsentimental and never cloys, but brings out many of the local traditions, superstitions, and myths surrounding the Hebrides in a natural and seemingly impromptu fashion; so that when we attend a party given in honor of the sixtieth wedding anniversary of the Laird of the Campbells, we actually see three bagpipers playing as the floor shakes under the heels of dancers; and we witness an extremely good amateur a capella group sing a glee. IGWIG takes its time to give us the full value of these things, and we're left grateful for the sense of connection. How different it feels than Pretty Lady, with a cliched plot hitched to endless shopping sprees and "let's do lunch" dates.

The extraordinary beauty of the environment was captured live without special effects--in fact, Powell said they never used a smoke machine; all their fog, brilliant sunshine, gales, and scenery were natural. Everything save the interiors (and shots with the Laird; Livesey had a commitment that kept him in London) were made on location, near a village of several hundred inhabitants which was largest settlement on the isle. Erwin Hillier, the editor on the film, was a student of Fritz Lang, and much preferred the heavily contrasted depth photography he'd been trained in to the soft-edged, romantic tone of Hollywood, or the stolidly outlined b&w of contemporary British films.

The script is subtle, rich, and impeccably characterized, with a lot going on beneath the surface. (For example, it's a film about growing up emotionally; of coming to terms with the world around you, and determining what values are real. Yet on another level, there's an unstated three-way contrast among the heroine, an ambitious, educated, lower-class girl, the tycoon and his new money, waiting out the war safely in his island castle, and the traditional upper-middle class landowners and gentry of the Hebrides, impoverished by war deprivations but quietly, heroically making do.) The acting is flawless, without any of the "beautiful people" syndrome in evidence which has so dogged cinema over the years. A comparative failure upon its release (critics and audience weren't in the mood for mystical landscapes and romance after WWII), it's racked up numerous awards and a very large following, since. Martin Scorsese speaks of it as among his favorite films. Although a few stylistic points creak with age (notably the use of music in the background behind dialog in some sections), this is a powerful, lyrical, intimate film with enormous replay value, thanks to the great subtlety of its images and performances. If you're looking for the perfect film to see with a date, or a loved one, consider this. Even if you're not, consider it, anyway. You won't regret it.

What are the truly great, classic romances on film ? Many would think of "Casablanca", and justifiably so. However, in its own charming, subtle way, "I Know Where I'm Going" deserves a high place on any such list. My wife and I decided to watch this as our "Valentine's Day" movie--a perfect choice.

I suppose the big question is--why is a movie that is so predictable, so great ? As usual, the answer is a combination of fine ingredients--script, direction, setting and performances, both lead and support.

Dame Wendy Hiller stars as a bright, independent and arrogant young woman who "knows where she is going". Actually, she is "going" to a remote island off the west coast of Scotland to marry a much older, but incredibly wealthy man. There is never any suggestion of a relationship between these two people or that they love one another. It is presented to us as an "arranged" marriage, just as this fellow ( we never actually see him on screen ) would set up one of his business deals. Of course, fate intervenes.

Several days of bad weather prevent our heroine from leaving the coastal village to meet her intended on the island. During this time, she meets a naval officer who also happens to be the local laird, played by Roger Livesey. Even though he is attracted to Ms. Hiller, the Livesey character does not try to "sweep her off her feet"--he simply opens her eyes to the charms and rewards of a simple life where "people are not poor--they just don't have any money". Before long, she develops feelings for this man, which makes her even more anxious to reach the island and her husband-to-be, so that she can keep her word and "do the right thing". Of course, you can't fight fate--can you ?

There are various subplots involving an ancient Scottish curse, a terrifying encounter with a whirlpool, and relationships involving some of the local people. Although shot in black and white, the beauty of Scotland is definitely one of the "stars" of this film. While Hiller and Livesey are superb in the leading roles, they receive fine support from Pamela Brown and a group of Scottish actors, including Finlay Currie. Actually, were there any films involving Scotland from the 30s to 60s which did not have Finlay Currie in the cast ? He is like the patron saint of Scottish movie actors !

Criterion, as usual, gives us a beautiful image, and some nice extras to go with this Powell/Pressburger classic. When Martin Scorcese is asked if he would "remake" the film, he basically says no--why mess around with perfection ? Thank you, Mr. Scorcese--a man of taste, as well as talent !

This is a movie where you can just curl up with your partner, relax ( except for that whirlpool ! )and enjoy some unforgettable characters who learn what is really important in life. A wonderful DVD to own. Now--when is the next flight to Scotland ?

I never heard of this film and probably never would have except for a connection I made with another Amazon.com reviewer (hannah12). I suppose as many other people do, I found that hannah12 reviewed several books, movies and BBC series that I enjoyed, so I began reading her other reviews. That's how I was introduced to "I Know Where I'm Going", and I was not disappointed.

The plot is thin, but appealing. It's the gorgeous scenery, even in black and white, that makes this movie a standout-it was filmed on location in Scotland. And being a dog-lover, the scenes that include beautiful Scottish Deerhounds are particularly special to me. Wendy Hiller is terrific as the headstrong young lady bound and determined to marry a very rich older man and Roger Livesey perfect as the low-key local laird with lots of breeding, but little money.

This is a movie with tons of atmosphere. It's a great way to escape from our everyday lives here in the good old USA.

The first ten minutes are very dated, but keep watching, the romance is as inevitable and gratifying as the cavalry showing up in an old western. Wendy Hiller is as beautiful as she was in Pygmalian and Livesy gives the performance of a lifetime. The DVD extras are excellent. Scotland is ravishingly beautiful. A couples movie if ever there were one.

This is the first DVD I have reviewed. I do it because this is the most memorable film I have seen in years. It totally absorbed me. It is as good as other Dame Wendy Hiller films such as "Pygmalion". The DVD enhancement commentary, through the British Film Institute and a New Yorker film critic, and the location revisits are simply outstanding.

A typically wry, enchantingly off-beat and spiritually inclined Michael Powell-Emric Pressberger film, which extols the mystery and unpredictability of life, and the love of human foibles and natural splendor. Wendy Hiller stars as a young, ambitious "new Briton," an unabashed goldigger eager to make the most of the modern life and her rapid upward mobility. She's off to a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides, where she's scheduled to wed a extremely wealthy (but rather boorish) English Lord, and thus cap off her ambitious rise into the upper class. Of course, she doesn't know it, but fate has planned otherwise. When she arrives at the nearby island of Mull (a real place, with real features that were incorporated into the the plot of the film) she is halted by the North coast's uncontrollable weather, and while she's stuck on Mull, finds herself charmed by the earthy locals. In particular, she is smitten by young Torqvill, the laird of a decrepit local castle (Roger Lifesey), who lives life with gusto, despite being heir to a fallen fortune. The city-slicker whose priggishness is called into question by kooky, loveable locals is, of course, a story that has been done many times both before and since this film was made ("Englishman Who Went Up A Hill..." etc...) But somehow, this Michael Powell outing has long been a cult favorite, as seen in several bonus featurettes that accompany the film on the DVD version. The DVD makes the most of its "extras," with several excellent featurettes, including a short BBC documentary about the making of the film, in which "New Yorker" editor Nancy Franklin, smitten by the film, journeys to the island of Mull to recapture some of the grandeur and mystery she felt in the movie. Powell's widow, famed film editor Thelma Schoonmaker Powell, also narrates a couple of segments, gently illuminating Powell's artistic vision and love of nature, as she looks through his home movies and still from the production of the film. (Micheal Powell fans simply have to see these parts...) Cast notes: Livesey grows on you, but Wendy Hiller is unlikeable throughout -- the one real trouble with this film. And look for young Petula Clark, as the precocious daughter of an aristocratic family that hosts Hiller during her stay on Mull. An interesting film that captures a certian something about postwar Britain, with beautiful cinematography and a stunning look at a real-life boat-swallowing whirlpool. Recommended.

In "I Know Where I'm Going!" stubborn Joan Webster (Wendy Hiller) embarks on a long journey north to marry the wealthy Sir Robert Bellinger on the Scottish island of Kiloran in the Heberdies. However, the fates and the Scottish weather work against her plans and teach here the folly of the title sentiment and the song that goes with it. Originally deterred from reaching the island by fog, Joan encounters naval Lieutenant Torquil MacNeil (Roger Livesey) who talks her into spending the night at the house of his friend, Catriona Potts (Pamela Brown). The next day the fog is gone but a fierce gale has taken its place. Joan and Torquil move to the Tobermory Hotel to better wait out the gale but not before passing Castle Moy where we learn of a curse that forbids any of the Lairds of Kiloran from entering the place. Torquil, it turns out, is the one of the Lairds but is forced to rent the island to Bellinger just to pay the bills. At this point we know exactly where this movie is going, even if it takes Joan and Torquil a bit longer to figure things out.

There are two things that make this a most enjoyable romance. First, the fact that Hiller and Livsey are considerably more real in looks and actions than the actors we usually find staring in such films. When Joan and Torquil have their big fight about her trying to cross over to Kiloran by boat, they are of course talking about everything except how they feel about each other. It is such a mature conversation, for lack of a better word at the moment, and reflective of the entire film's approach to the idea of love and romance. Second, there is a real sense of Scotland in "I Know Where I'm Going!", both in terms of the stunning location shots but also the large supporting cast of characters. This film does for Scotland what "The Quiet Man" did for Ireland, although that comparison immediately brings strong feelings of regret that this film is not in color. Still, it is no wonder that fans of this film make a pilgrimage to the Isle of Mull.

This Criterion Collection edition of "I Know Where I'm Going" provides all of the insights we have come to expect. There are still photographs and home movies shot by Michael Powell with commentary from his widow, as well as a documentary on the making of the film. The most astounding revelation is that leading man Roger Livesey never went to Scotland for filming because he was in a West End play at the time. Every shot you see of Torquil out and about is a double and the fact that the interior of Castle Moy was a studio interior is rather stunning given how little film time it is given (albeit the payoff for the entire film). Ironically, James Mason was originally cast in the role but turned it down because he was going to have to "live rough" on the islands of northern Scotland. Actually, this is a somewhat atypical Criterion Collection in that it caters more to the "ordinary" fan of the film rather than the usual student of cinema.

Personal Note: Seeing Pamela Brown in this film was a special treat because she was the actress who originated the role of Jennet Jourdemayne in Christopher Fry's wonderful verse play "The Lady's Not for Burning." I have seen Brown in a few other film roles, such as "Richard III" and "Cleopatra," but this is the first time I got a sense of the actress as she would have been in that play and I fully understand the comment that the actress had eyes you can drown in. Along similar lines, keep an eye out for young Petula Clark as Cheril (the little girl wearing glasses who looks up from her book to ask Joan about her impending marriage).

It is difficult to resist the spell of the Archers (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger) at full throttle. I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING is one of their greatest collaborations.

It is on the surface a slight story about a headstrong English lass (a young but formidable Wendy Hiller)who travels to the Outer Hebrides to marry a wealthy older man. On the way, she is constantly interrupted and subverted in her aim, not only by local weather conditions but also by dashing local laird Roger Livesey who does not reveal his real identity. (Livesey's rich friuty voice and imposing screen presence enlivened several of the Archers' 40s films most notably in the title role in THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP and as the doctor who sacrifices his own life to argue David Niven's case in the heavenly trials of A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH).

These interruptions and digressions provide a magnificent springboard for the Archers' eloquent, lyrical celebration of the mystery and wildness of isolated British landscapes and more especially seascapes. Like so many of their best films it exerts a powerfully exotic appeal-much of it was shot on location on the island of Mull. The film makers intensely explore the milieu in terms of storms and mists, whirlpools, ancient curses, ruined castles, a strong sense of the supernatural and a wonderfully detailed ruby wedding and ceilidh, Scottish style. In other words, the aesthetic terrain of the heart. As with A CANTERBURY TALE, which is full of the mysteries of the Kentish countryside and of Chaucer's Britain, the Archers create a mystical experience out of regional nature and custom.

Typically also the erotic element is foregrounded; you only have to look into Pamela Brown's wistful gaze and contemplate her long, lush tresses to relize the awakening the Archers have in mind for the naive Wendy Hiller character. It has little to do with her original plans.