Culloden

Culloden

1964
Drama
Documentary
TV Movie
1h 9m
A reconstruction of the Battle of Culloden, the last battle to take place on British soil, as if modern TV cameras were present. (imdb)
Your probable score
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Culloden

1964
Drama
Documentary
TV Movie
1h 9m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 72.19% from 118 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(117)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 08 Jan 2018
76
87th
Historical research, dramatic reconstruction, non-professional actors and anachronistic use of documentary and televisual means are combined in a style that is here born almost fully formed. Paradoxically, this is both decades ahead of its time and a relic of a positive direction television might have taken but never did. Also shows that already by 1964, concern about American action in Vietnam was influencing political and aesthetic thinking, at least in Britain if not in the United States.
Rated 28 Jun 2019
79
81st
Was traumatised by this as a six-year-old, and then again as a twelve-year-old. Haven't summoned up the courage to watch it again since. I'll update this review when I grow a pair.
Rated 25 Jun 2021
70
74th
Everything I admire about Watkins as a maker of docudrama - indeed everything that makes him a brilliant filmmaker - is evident in his first feature film about this infamous battle. That is; absolute attention to detail, a matter of fact yet poetic approach to (historical) events, non-trivial use of non-professional actors (who often look into the camera) and complex layering of sound and image (including on-point narration). All of which means the viewer needs to pay attention at all times.
Rated 24 Mar 2012
84
77th
A pseudo-doc about a historical battle, it manages to make things work very well despite the inherent anachronism of a camera crew in the 18th century. When it comes to depicting the blundering build up, the brutal battle, and the bloody aftermath, Watkins doesn't slip up. The use of closeups works very well in conveying agony and bewilderment and, the very methodical pacing and matter of fact descriptions clash with the grimy visuals and leave strong impressions.
Rated 21 Mar 2019
65
29th
Making an imitation doc of a battle fought in 1746 sure is original and interesting. Unfortunately it didn't all work for me. Mostly because the acting is of such low level, I constantly was taking out of this idea of watching real people. Secondly the handful of numbers of people shown on screen don't correspond to the amount of people and scale of the battle told about in the voice-over. So this could have been way better if Watkins had a bigger budget to hire better and more actors.
Rated 11 Apr 2020
80
86th
The narrow aspect ratio ensures that the soldiers' expressive faces fill almost the entire screen, and I'm a big fan of Watkins' original style and method in which moments of truth are orchestrated when the characters, who are played by non-actors with the same beliefs, tell the viewer how they feel. And this film is definitely further proof that we absolutely need an Academy Award category for casting.
Rated 22 Oct 2015
100
0th
"Can you call this a documentary?" "No." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/05/episode-12.html
Rated 02 Jan 2017
79
64th
It's so odd to see a documentary that is ostensibly about a completely different war than the one discussed.

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