Moviecut—Culloden

source: Culloden

This is a documentary made of the battle of Culloden. It is made as if the narrator is a war correspondent at this 18th century Scottish battle. It is very watchable for those interested in history of this period. In some ways a little amateurish, but this to an extent adds to the battlefield atmosphere, and may be more to do with a low budget. On the whole quite lucid and interesting, if at times a little corny by todays standards. Gives much interesting background information, and attempts to tear down much of the romanticism and myths which later surrounded the battle, and Bonny Prince Charlie. It gives a straight account of the negligence of the Young Pretenders leadership, and of the later English and lowland Scots reprisals and atrocities against the defeated highland army, and the ordinary highland citizens, and their brutal clan way of life. Altogether it appears very realistic.

I saw this movie in a Greek theatre, the first time movies by Watkins were presented in Greece.I was impressed by it's presentation of the brutality of war and the English army. It is also notable that he does not try to idealize the clan system of the Highlands that came to an end after Culloden. I wonder how he could find such accurate information about the details of the battle. It was a heart-rending movie, I think even more impressive than he latter film Commune which tries to present the collision between authority and rebellion in a similar but more understated manner. The amount of violence in Culloden is vast but it is realistic and not invented. In the latter half the movie takes a decisive stance against the English. UK divisions are not so pertinent for a foreigner as me but I can appreciate the visual beauty of the film.

One of the most controversial events in Britain's history, the last land battle ever fought in Britain and its tragic aftermath which effectively wiped out an entire way of life forever. This documentary showed what the battle of Culloden really was, a complete mismatch, on one side, you had battle hardened well equipped professional soldiers armed with all the latest weaponry and on the other, you had what can only be described as ill equipped poorly organised, exhausted hungry warriors who were in no fit state to fight as a result of a failed night attack. The battle itself was a bloodstained massacre, for every one government soldier killed, 24 clansman lay dead on the poorly chosen moor. But that was only the beginning, after the battle the government forces carried out the pacification of the highlands. In reality it had more in common with the final solution, houses were burned, livestock and lands confiscated, the highlanders found their way of life was effectively outlawed, their language, their tartan and their music were banned. The documentary doesn't in any way try to sugar coat the events of that summer, it simply shows what happened. The acting is very disturbingly accurate, particularly those of the Scottish soldiers who fought for the government forces and the battle scene itself is one of the more realistic ones I've seen and those participating did look generally scared during the filming. The costumes couldn't be faulted and the cast was excellent. It also raises the point that this was not Scotland vs England as more Scots were on the side of the government forces than the rebels, and it was mainly Scottish soldiers who carried out Cumberland's orders in the aftermath as an English soldier remarked, "The lowlander Scots hate the highlanders more than we do." This is a must see not just for movie fans but for history lovers and those interested in this time period.

Peter Watkins directs this harsh mock-documentary that examines the 1746 Battle of Culloden. It is the final stages of the attempted Jockobite Rebellion and beginnings of Britian's near-genocide of Highland clans of Scotland. A brutal look at the decay of Scottish clans due to British occupation. THE WAR GAME is filmed as if CNN, not unlike coverage of recent wars, is on hand to spotlight the battle for a TV audience with Watkins conducting on-the-spot interviews with participants. Non-professional actors are used in this reenactment of a lopsided battle tainted by jealousy and stupidity. This film is pretty graphic for its 1964 origin. This 1746 massacre is source of Scottish folklore and British pub conversation. THE WAR GAME is very interesting and worth your while.

Brilliant. Uncompromising. Brutal. Seminal docudrama. Docudrama makes it sound pedestrian. It isn't. I remember watching Culloden years ago on BBC2. The remorseless cannon fire, the savage battle and the immediacy of the action struck a cord. I picked up a copy of John Prebble's Culloden a couple of years after, in a second hand bookshop. Obtaining the book wasn't an automatic response to having watched the BBC film. I brought it without having the film in mind. That is what good film making is. Not a quick fix. More an experience. A highly recommended watch.

In many ways, this TV program is a neat way to present history. You recreate a famous event (in this case the Battle of Culloden) and have people in period costumes act it out and talk to the camera as well as through the use of a narrator. This is not a perfect method, however, as there are two main problems. First, since this was not captioned, it was tough understanding the accents. I have some British friends and they say that they, too, often have trouble with this and it is amazing how a country that sized has such amazingly diverse accents. Second, when the battle itself begins, there is a great sense of overload. So many cannons, screams and the like--it all tends to mash together in your mind and can be a bit numbing. Still, an interesting premise and well executed---even though these armies of thousands really appeared to be just a few dozen. Worth seeing.

I've seen this on tv when I was a kid and I was so struck I never forgot it. For the first time the blank and brutal reality of a battle was depicted to my childish and romantic eyes. Pity I wasn't able to track a copy of this film. Apparently in UK they don't even remember who Peter Watkins is.

Made at the beginning of the Viet Nam War the Battle of Culloden has an unmistakable resemblance between it and the conflict. Peter Watkins pacifistic message is as loud, clear and brutal as his nuclear nightmare faux documentary The War Game. Watkins employs the same coldly intimate style of devastating close-ups of combatants in the Eighteenth century battle that sent the inept Bonnie Prince Charlie packing involving both leaders and followers where vainglorious pomposity and maiming weaponry grind up humanity. The "You are There" television show technique interviews combatants of every rank as well as display the crude but efficient weaponry that devastated the ill led ranks of the Bonnie Prince who is portrayed as a moronic fop, oblivious to the suffering of his people. On the triumphant side there is the Duke of Cumberland whose cakewalk victory bleeds war crimes while elevating him to legendary war hero status. After all, the victors write the history books. In Culloden, Watkins shows us that in war winners as well as the defeated lose something. In many ways it powerfully prefigures the folly of The United States for the next ten years in South East Asia. "When will they ever learn"?