callmemadam (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
callmemadam) wrote2023-04-16 11:17 am
callmemadam) wrote2023-04-16 11:17 am
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Local Hero: Making a Scottish Classic, Jonathan Melville
Local Hero is one of my favourite films, so I was delighted when huskyteer lent me Making a Scottish Classic. I was just going to include this in my monthly roundup but as it’s as much about the film as the book, I decided on a separate post. The book begins with the background story of the Scottish film industry or rather, the need to develop one. To be honest, this is a little tedious. Bill Forsyth began by making documentary films but his heart wasn’t in it; he wanted to make feature films. The ideas for That Sinking Feeling and Gregory’s Girl came from his work with the Glasgow Youth Theatre, using young, amateur actors who could improvise. The problem was raising the money to make any film at all. Jonathan Melville takes us through Local Hero scene by scene and it’s a sign of what a wonderful film it is that as each scene is described, you can see it in your mind’s eye.
Snippets. John Gordon Sinclair was working as an apprentice electrician when Forsyth knocked on his door and asked him to play Gregory.
Forsyth admired Powell and Pressburger, especially I Know Where I’m Going, my own personal favourite.
Peter Capaldi had never acted before!
Michael Douglas and Henry Winkler both wanted to play Mac but Forsyth preferred Peter Riegert. Riegert’s reaction to his first visit to Britain was rather like Mac’s. He was confused by the language, e.g. Capaldi complaining that he had ‘a shed on his head’ and Forsyth eating ‘a piece and jam’. Burt Lancaster claimed that he couldn’t understand a word Bill Forsyth said, because of his Glaswegian accent. He accepted the part of Happer because he liked the script, saying, ‘You wouldn’t believe the rubbish I’m sent.’
Fulton Mackay already famous, was apparently the most intimidating of the actors.
John Gordon Sinclair and Peter Capaldi ‘worshipped’ Denis Lawson and Peter Riegert because they were ‘real actors’ and they wanted to be like them. The two new boys were seen as a couple of ‘gangling youths’.
I love Denis Lawson in anything but found that, whenever Peter Capaldi was on screen, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. This reminded me of Michael Caine in his film-acting masterclass saying, re the actor and the camera, that, ‘for some, fortunate people, people like looking them.’ I rest my case.
Mark Knopfler’s score is perfect for the film and he had much more influence on the making of it than I’d realised, especially the ceilidh scene. Everyone interviewed by Melville seems to have nothing but fond memories of making the film. Of course, I had to watch the film again and, thanks to the book, noticed many little details which had escaped me before. Here’s Mark Kopfler, with some scenes from the film. I love this.
huskyteer lent me Making a Scottish Classic. I was just going to include this in my monthly roundup but as it’s as much about the film as the book, I decided on a separate post. The book begins with the background story of the Scottish film industry or rather, the need to develop one. To be honest, this is a little tedious. Bill Forsyth began by making documentary films but his heart wasn’t in it; he wanted to make feature films. The ideas for That Sinking Feeling and Gregory’s Girl came from his work with the Glasgow Youth Theatre, using young, amateur actors who could improvise. The problem was raising the money to make any film at all. Jonathan Melville takes us through Local Hero scene by scene and it’s a sign of what a wonderful film it is that as each scene is described, you can see it in your mind’s eye. Snippets. John Gordon Sinclair was working as an apprentice electrician when Forsyth knocked on his door and asked him to play Gregory.
Forsyth admired Powell and Pressburger, especially I Know Where I’m Going, my own personal favourite.
Peter Capaldi had never acted before!
Michael Douglas and Henry Winkler both wanted to play Mac but Forsyth preferred Peter Riegert. Riegert’s reaction to his first visit to Britain was rather like Mac’s. He was confused by the language, e.g. Capaldi complaining that he had ‘a shed on his head’ and Forsyth eating ‘a piece and jam’. Burt Lancaster claimed that he couldn’t understand a word Bill Forsyth said, because of his Glaswegian accent. He accepted the part of Happer because he liked the script, saying, ‘You wouldn’t believe the rubbish I’m sent.’
Fulton Mackay already famous, was apparently the most intimidating of the actors.
John Gordon Sinclair and Peter Capaldi ‘worshipped’ Denis Lawson and Peter Riegert because they were ‘real actors’ and they wanted to be like them. The two new boys were seen as a couple of ‘gangling youths’.
I love Denis Lawson in anything but found that, whenever Peter Capaldi was on screen, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. This reminded me of Michael Caine in his film-acting masterclass saying, re the actor and the camera, that, ‘for some, fortunate people, people like looking them.’ I rest my case.
Mark Knopfler’s score is perfect for the film and he had much more influence on the making of it than I’d realised, especially the ceilidh scene. Everyone interviewed by Melville seems to have nothing but fond memories of making the film. Of course, I had to watch the film again and, thanks to the book, noticed many little details which had escaped me before. Here’s Mark Kopfler, with some scenes from the film. I love this.
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