Culloden

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It's so odd to see a documentary that is ostensibly about a completely different war than the one discussed.

"Can you call this a documentary?" "No." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/05/episode-12.html