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Powerful

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Michael Powell is best known for the films he made with Emeric Pressburger under the brand name "The Archers", but "The Edge of the World" from 1937 is a solo project, predating his partnership with Pressburger. It was inspired by the evacuation of the remote Scottish archipelago of St Kilda in 1930. Here the island is named "Hirta", which is the same name as that of the main island of the St Kilda group, but it is relocated from the Hebrides to the Orkneys or Shetlands. (Permission to film on St Kilda itself was refused, so filming actually took place on Foula in the Shetlands, although that island was, and remains to this day, inhabited).A wealthy young couple, sailing around Scotland by yacht, arrive on the island where they discover abandoned cottages but no human inhabitants. They ask Andrew Gray, the skipper of their yacht and himself a native of the island, what happened, and he explains that the island has been deserted for ten years. He then tells them the story of how the population came to leave. The islanders were divided among themselves; some, including Andrew himself, wanted to stay whereas others, such as his close friend Robbie Manson, wanted to leave. Even families were split; Andrew's father James sided with Robbie, whereas Robbie's father Peter and his sister Ruth (who was also Andrew's sweetheart) were both among those determined to stay.The story told here is partly based upon the true story of the evacuation of St Kilda and is partly fictitious. As on the real St Kilda, the main factor which is drawing people away from the fictitious island of "Hirta" is the greater employment opportunities offered to young people on the mainland. There is also the fact that there are no medical facilities on the island. The people of Hirta are also concerned that competition from commercial trawlers is damaging the local fishing industry. (This was not a factor on the real St Kilda, where the rough and perilous seas meant that the local people did little fishing). As the younger generation gradually leave, this makes it more difficult for those remaining to follow their traditional way of life which relies on strong, fit young people to help with the fishing and crofting and to gather sea birds' eggs from the cliffs. (This was an important source of protein in their diet). Powell, born in Canterbury, may have been a native of southern England, but had a deep love of the Scottish highlands and islands; two of his later films with Pressburger, "The Spy in Black" and "I Know Where I'm Going!" were also set in the area. "The Edge of the World" can be seen as his tribute to the way of life of the local people, a life which Powell and his cast and crew shared for several months while on Foula. (No air service or regular ferry existed in 1937, meaning that they had to stay on the island for the whole length of the shoot).While "The Edge of the World" tells a fictional story, it has a documentary feel to it, reminiscent of the documentary shorts such as "The Islanders" which were being produced by the GPO Film Unit around the same time. At this period life on remote islands was hard and lonely; the islanders of Foula, like those of St Kilda, had no gas, electricity or running water. They had never seen a car, an aircraft or even a bicycle. There were no radios and no postal service; their only way of communicating with the outside world was to launch a letter into the sea in a small wooden vessel, hoping it would be picked up by a passing ship. (They make use of this method during the film). The characters in the film refer to the mainland as "Scotland", as through Scotland were somewhere foreign, not the country where they live.Powell shows us not only the hardships and dangers of their life but also their simple religious faith, their democratic ways (all decisions of importance are taken by an island Parliament) and their independent spirit. He also captures, in some striking black- and-white photography, the austere natural beauty of the island. The film may not have the complexity of some of his "Archers" films, but it has a beauty, a tragic power and a poetic simplicity which make it unusual in the annals of British film-making, matched in these respects perhaps only by Bryan Forbes' "Whistle Down the Wind". 9/10A goof. The main story is said to have happened ten years ago, presumably in 1927, but the characters refer to the evacuation of St Kilda, which did not occur until 1930.

This is a lovely movie and was a work of love--it's obvious that the people who made this film really cared about making an artistic film that chronicled the exodus of residents from lonely and practically god-forsaken islands to the mainland. It's easy to see how important this project was to them.In this case, the film is set on a windswept and very barren Scottish isle. Now the locals, to a degree, love their land and are reluctant to leave but also life is so darn harsh the viewer is left amazed that anyone would choose to live in such a relentless land. How they showed this was highly reminiscent of the later Italian Neo-realist films, as most of the actors were normal folks, not big-name actors AND the subject matter was so mundane (both trademarks of the style). But unlike the Neo-realist films, the artistic bent of the film is truly unique. The island and all its many sights are simply stunning--especially the cliff-side shots. They look almost like the cinematographer had the eye of an Ansel Adams--it just looked gorgeous due not only to stunning geography but a deft hand at the camera--employing filters and framing the shots so well. The "ghost scene" towards the beginning is also very stunning and exceptionally well handled.So with so much going for it, why do I say the film is so dull? Well, think about it...the land is very, very stark and not a whole heck of a lot happens during the film. While there are a few interesting vignettes, watching these very taciturn (i.e., close mouthed) people was at times quite a chore. I just wanted SOMETHING eventful to happen and I wanted some emotion out of the actors--though this would have resulted in a more watchable but less realistic film. So instead of seeing this as fun or entertaining (which it isn't), I see this more as a documentary with a simple story that is meant simply to record this style of living before it completely disappeared. So at least historically it is a very important film--much like NANOOK OF THE NORTH or STROMBOLI (without the bad story) and other ethnographic films. But don't watch this unless you have a pot of coffee nearby--otherwise, you'll probably fall asleep again and again.

The premise here is the evacuation of St. Kilda, set in the uttermost Shetland Isle of Foula.What strikes the viewer at once is the contrast between the banality of the invented drama with the uniquely cinematic beauty of the island. And, more importantly, the contrast between the flashes of genius in the framing, composition and camera angles with the flat soundstage close ups. It's as if there's two movies going on at once, and Powell lurches us back and forth. The plot itself is a trifle of no concern...what does come through is that the human and livestock presence on the island seems an irritation that nature can't wait to shake off, such is the power of the visuals.The rope rappelling scene is paid tribute to in "For Your Eyes Only"...

I first saw this film in 2002 to view locations on the Isle of Foula for a book I was working on, I have to admit to having never heard of the movie prior to then,so thanks to Martin Scorsese & Thelma Schoonmaker (Powell's widow) for the fantastic restoration of this 1937 classic.The film was based on the evacuation of St.Kilda in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, and having been refused permission to film on St.Kilda for fear of disturbing the birdlife,Mr Powell sought out another island. Foula was chosen for its resemblance to St.kilda and he took the whole film unit there for 5 months between June and October 1936.To make such a film under such conditions on an remote Island such as Foula, West of Shetland Isles at that time must have taken great courage and determination. Continuous battles with the elements,the midges,the equipment & supply failures, must have all took their toll, but Mr Powell and his intrepid band of actors & film crew all gave 100% to produce this masterpiece of cinematography.Dangerous sequences on the cliffs were all done by the actors themselves not stuntmen, and the cameramen also had their work cut out to get in close for dramatic shots, (No power zoom lens in those days) Some great pan shots and lapse dissolves are used and classic music accompaniment makes this an unforgettable movie.Whilst on the Isle one of the Key actors John Laurie broke his collarbone, it was thought the production would have to find a replacement, but stubborn Laurie returned to the set in a little over a month and continued with filming.Dedication to the end.If you don't see another movie all year, see the 'EDGE OF THE WORLD' and wonder how some of the shots were done, then listen to Daniel Day Lewis' & Thelma Schoonmaker's comments on the DVD to hear how they did made it.