The Powell & Pressburger Pages Dedicated to the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and all the other people, both actors and technicians who helped them make those wonderful films. A lot of the documents have been sent to me or have come from other web sites. The name of the web site is given where known. If I have unintentionally included an image or document that is copyrighted or that I shouldn't have done then please email me and I'll remove it. I make no money from this site, it's purely for the love of the films. [Any comments are by me (Steve Crook) and other members of the email list]

Submitted by Mark Fuller

I Know Where I'm Going

From: Daily Herald
17 November 1945

---

Strange and therefore memorable, this tale of a girl who leaves the Midlands to marry a rich man, tenant of a Hebridean island.

     For the first half-hour I found Michael Powell's direction feverish, until I realised it possessed that quality of dreamy unreality that real-life crises often have. From then on, I was fascinated.

     Never has Scotland been so wonderfully filmed as on these misty shores (they even photograph a rainbow) with the bleak winds, rough seas and boiling whirlpool off Mull. What happens? Precious little. Bad weather prevents Miss Hiller crossing to the island; a naval officer (local laird) makes it ultimately unnecessary.

     That's the plot. Atmosphere, literal and personal, is everything. Scottish psychology and values are cleverly caught; all characters avoid the obvious. Finlay Currie, luminous Pamela Brown, Jean Cadell and a dozen others are clear cut; we have Capt.C.W.R. Knight himself catching and taming golden eagles and playing a credble major; and the stars are refreshingly free from self-consciousness.

     There is a little hokum about a castle and a curse - readily forgiven in such an enterprising film.

---

Back to index