Truly Dreadful Film

Absolutely Fantastic

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

We are on a remote island off the coast of Scotland and there is a crisis. No whisky. The islanders have run out. It is war-time and supplies are scarce. Prayers are said and God comes good. A ship crashes just off the coast of the island with a cargo of 50,000 cases of whisky. Happy days. However, we have a Captain Mainwaring figure in the form of Basil Radford who is leader of the island's Home Guard and he wants to make sure there is no pilfering of the cargo. Boo. The film is a cat and mouse game between the islanders and this jobsworth insistent on misery. It's a comedy and it does have funny moments. I'm not a fan of Ealing comedies but I'm keeping on to this film as it is an exception as it has actually got some comedy in it.It's filmed on location which gives authenticity to the proceedings and thankfully, we don't get the usual Ealing comedy music - oom-pa-pa, oom-pa-pa, wah wah wah - soundtrack. It's based on actual events and this adds to the interest for me. You definitely root for the inhabitants over the officious do-gooder busy-body as represented by Radford. Let them have their whisky, for goodness sake. They're not bad people - they even don't allow themselves to get up to any mischief on a Sunday!Top tip - head over to remote areas of Scotland. A large gold nugget worth £50,000 has recently been found there but authorities are not saying where. You may even come across some stray whisky.

To all that's been said by other viewers, I'd just like to add that, to me, the comedy derives not only from the sheer situation - a whole cast of beautiful Scottish island dwellers / a ship washed ashore with holds full of precious rare whiskey at a time of dire storage, but from the way this bunch of islanders deal with the 'rules' and go around all of them. A godsend shipment of whiskey in war time is one thing, the armed forces trying to apply some rule to such an unruly population is another, but they also have to deal with 2 even bigger forces, the tide and Sabbath! The inner struggles of these good people to finally manage and have the proper wedding ceremony, and the ensuing traditional ceilidh make the movie a delight of good, unpretentious comedy, while the fond memory that remains is that of mankind working around cultural/historical setting to remain what they are deep at heart, and behave accordingly. And yes, there is also the wonderful Joan Greenwood, with her ragged velvet voice and smooth acting...

A good whisky needs time to fully express itself; drinking it without its having reached its maturity just won't do. Well, like a great whisky, this film has developed itself over time. Already 65 years old, and that is certainly a long period of ageing, "Whisky Galore" is still crisp, certain, subtle and appealing, what you would expect both a great spirit and a great film to be. Like the perfect sip, it gets ahold of you from the very beginning, captivating the drinker (or the viewer) with calculated pace and timing, keeping your interest from start to finish. The movie deals easily with complex issues, such as the relation between parents and offspring, military and civilian, State and folk, always leaning towards the weaker. Ever gentle, it will make you smile and leave you with a nice reminiscence lingering for a long time: once again, just as a glass of the best scotch would do. Cheers!

Scottish islanders try to plunder 50,000 cases of whiskey from a stranded ship.This was Alexander Mackendrick's directorial debut, and a solid one at that. There is humor, to be sure, and something of a dark humor at that. Apparently, Scotland is a dreary place when whiskey and cigarettes are scarce.But although I liked it, I think I missed something, because it did not jump out at me as anything much beyond the average films of the day. I guess maybe I should watch it again or in the context of Mackendrick's career, but oh well.