The Edge of the World (1937)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Michael Powell

Writer:

Michael Powell (story)

Release Date:

9 September 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

A way of life is dying on a Shetland island fishing port, but some of the inhabitants resist evacuating to the mainland.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Cliff | Fishing | Race | Grudge

Cast

John Laurie	...	Peter Manson
Belle Chrystall	...	Ruth Manson - His Daughter
Eric Berry	...	Robbie Manson - Her Brother
Kitty Kirwan	...	Jean Manson - Their Grandmother
Finlay Currie	...	James Gray
Niall MacGinnis	...	Andrew Gray - His Son (as Niall Macginnis)
Grant Sutherland	...	John - the Catechist
Campbell Robson	...	Mr. Dunbar - the Laird
George Summers	...	Trawler Skipper

Runtime:

81 min | UK:62 min (1940 re-issue) | UK:74 min (1990 NFA-restoration) | USA:74 min | USA:72 min (Milestone print)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Visatone Sound System)

Certification:

USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Sweden:Btl | UK:U (video rating) (1991) | UK:U | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (re-rating) (1991)

Filming Locations:

Foula, Shetland, Scotland, UK

Company:

Joe Rock Productions

Trivia:

Almost four hours of film was shot on the island and was edited down to just 80 minutes by Derek N. Twist.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The wild Golden Eagle at the beginning has the falconer's jesses (leather straps) visible.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dad's Army: The Lion Has 'Phones (#3.3)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Psalm 23

A cinematic record of European people meeting the 20th century.

This was the directors first film, and his budget was limited. Some of his "actors" were local inhabitants, and the sound is not 21st standards. Nonetheless, the film is a near historical record of the problems faced by a small group of people living on an isolated island that could no longer cope with the attraction of modern life which began to draw away its young people. Besides electricity and indoor plumbing, the 20th century offered work that attracted the young with work and modern medicine that enabled more of their children a chance to survive.

This movie shows the anguish that splits the opinion of those who realize their ancient way of life is no longer viable.

Although the island and people depicted in the movie were fictional, there was a real Shetland Island that did choose to move to the mainland. This movie was made in 1937, and a vivid picture of the transition of European people transitioning from the 19th century into the modern world.