The Edge of the World (1937)

A glimpse of life on a remote island in the outer Hebrides introduces us to two families - the "Manson" and the "Gray". The former is led by the factor "Peter" (John Laurie), the latter by "James" (Finlay Currie). The thrust of the story, though, really centres around the affection his daughter "Ruth" (Belle Chrystall) has for the other man's son "Andrew" (Niall MacGinnis). The two are clearly in love and the island is keenly awaiting their wedding day. Meantime her brother "Robbie" (Eric Berry) has concluded that their subsistence existence cannot survive for long. Sheep, fish, peat and wool keep the island going for now, but for how much longer as the youngsters yearn for more from the big city and civilisation. It's this view that causes a bit of a row with best friend "Andrew" - a battle to be settled by a race up a sheer cliff in some fairly perilous conditions. Suffice to say, a tragedy ensues that rocks the island to it's core and drives a wedge between the family's that may never heal! Can common sense prevail over pig-headedness? Can optimism overcome grief? It was filmed on the island of Foulla and the cinematography illustrates well just how hard it would be to make any kind of living on this bleak and outwardly inhospitable island in the 1930s. It also, however, illustrates just how humanity reacts when faced with a communality of purpose - these people work, play and pray together and it's not hard to see why the older people resist the "bright lights" of the city; the technology of electricity, even the newly threatening deep sea trawlers that are destroying ecosystems and livelihoods alike. There's a strong cast - I always wonder if Finlay Currie was ever a young man - with a nice dynamic between the two older men and the young couple tainted by misfortune. It's got a rousing, Mendelssohn-esque, score from Lambert Williamson to complement Michael Powell's simple and effective direction and after eighty minutes I couldn't decide whether I'd live there or flee. Wear a cardigan!