The Brothers

A friend who had seen this obscure film recommended it and when it was on late one night I taped it and what a classic it is! It was on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation,the Federal Government free to air channel which plays great old black and white movies.

Similar to 49th Parallel in its depiction of people in conflict in a strong natural environment which is as beautiful as it is unforgiving.Should be more widely known for its great music,scenery and acting.

It's right up with Michael Powell's classics of the same time,release it on DVD now !!!

I only rated this film 5/10 as it seemed under-produced.There was always something missing in the storyline, the casting and even the filming.We had some authentic Scottish actors (but not Megs Jenkins who was Welsh) but Patricia Roc was badly miscast as the leading lady.I prefer to see her in the roles she was good at e.g. those she appeared as leading support for Margaret Lockwood The producers were shy about our sensitivities (probably as a result of war-time censorship) in that we did not see her demise in the film, nor the elder brother's demise by the male islanders on the Isle of Skye who came to exact revenge using the same curious method of execution they had earlier meted out to a turncoat who had shopped them to the excise men.The ending was unsatisfactory and rather abrupt.

This is a stunning B&W film shot on location on the Isle of Skye (for the most part), a weird story of sibling rivalry, lust, family honor, and age-old traditions and superstitions. In 1900, an orphaned "girl" arrives on the island to be the drudge of a dour family (a father and two sons). She is lusted after by one brother, but she loves the other. Eventually she's blamed for everything that befalls the family. Basic story is set against the rugged sea coast and a series of "old stories" that are mirrored by their modern-day life.

Patricia Roc is the girl. Finlay Currie is the old father. Maxwell Reed and Duncan Macrae (in a stunning film debut) are the brothers. Will Fyffe gets good billing for a small role as the jovial captain. Andrew Crawford plays Willie, and Megs Jenkins is Angustina. Certainly some stunning scenery. The film seems somewhat lacking in narrative structure, but you'll never forget the story of the little silver fish.

This is a bleak drama of the outer Hebrides outside Scotland around 1900, when conditions of life were very basic. On the island of Skye there are two families at odds with each other since ages, and there is a vendetta mentality inherited in generation after generation. When this story begins the main family (MacRae) consists of a father (Finlay Currie) and his two mature sons, when they are entrusted with a girl (Patricia Roc) by the local priest in the lack of social security. She is an orphan but is happy to be taken care of and cooperate, and there is no trouble, until a son of the rival family starts courting her. There the complications start mounting. There are some really wonderful scenes here that actually makes this film a classic for making original life in this remote world real on the screen - everything here is perfectly realistic and almost over-convincing. Superstition, old legends, second sight, amazing traditions are all blended together to make this unforgettable film of real life as it was on the Hebrides in 1900. There is a fantastic duel being fought by rowing in a boat, the two teams vying to tire each other out. This whole scene pinpointing the clan feud is actually the highlight of the film. Of course, the two brothers can't have a lovely woman living among them without both of them going lovesick in one way or another, especially as she is also courted by the family of enemies. The cinematography is a feast for the eyes all the way through, so is the highly dramatic music, and the acting couldn't have been performed better by more advanced professionals. The film is strongly reminding of the best Scottish films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and in fact their film, "I Know Where I Am Going" a few years later must have been highly inspired by this fabulous and unequalled gem of a film.

Patricia Roc (Mary) arrives on the Isle of Skye as home help for the Macrae family as headed by Finlay Currie (Hector). He has two sons who are the brothers of the title - Maxwell Reed (Fergus) and Duncan Macrae (John). The Macraes have a long-standing feud with rival clan the McFarishes who also live on the island. The arrival of Roc stirs an interest in Andrew Crawford (Willie) who belongs to the McFarish family and this starts a major problem.

This film takes place on location and reveals an islanders code of behaviour. You don't want to fall foul of the kangaroo courts and you'll definitely know what I'm talking about after watching the film. What a way to go - it's original. The dialogue is straight talking and humorous and the characters are good. They are also flawed and don't hold their punches when disagreements pop up. It's an interesting film and you won't guess the outcome. It keeps you watching and tragedy is the name of the game.

Of the cast, Maxwell Reed was the first husband of Joan Collins whilst Will Fyffe who plays the likable Captain McGrath met a tragedy of his own after this film was made, falling to his death from a hotel window. Weirdly, Duncan Macrae has the same name of one of the feuding clans of the film and so is probably still fighting their battles. He gets fair treatment in the film if you ask me.