The Edge of the World
The Edge of the World
NR | 09 September 1938 (USA)
The Edge of the World Trailers

A way of life is dying on a remote Scottish island, but some of the inhabitants resist evacuating to the mainland.

Reviews
SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling
Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
Abegail Noëlle While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.
Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
sol ***SPOILERS*** Touching little movie about a community of islanders in the North Sea faced with extinction if they don't leave their homeland, the Scottish island of Hirta, that they called their home for almost 1,000 years.The storyline of the movie is very basic in the rivalry between two best friends Andrew Gray and Robbie Mason in them at odds of staying or leaving their home on Hirta. Andrew is also very much in love with Robbie's twin sister Ruth which makes things between the two friends even more difficult then they already are. Andrew wants to leave Hirta, which Robbie s dead set against, and take his sister along with him as his wife. The two decide to get into a dangerous cliff climbing contest, without the use of ropes, to see who's right in leaving or not leaving Hirta for good. This has Robbie, as he's suddenly hit by an onrushing snow melt, loses his grip at the very top of the 1,300 foot cliff and despite his friend Andrews best efforts he ends up falling to his death on the rocks below. With the dead Robbie's father Peter Mason holding him responsible for his sons death Andrew's weddings plans with Peter's daughter Ruth are now off for good.Leaving the island and getting a job on a fishing boat on the mainland Andrew later learns that Ruth, whom he didn't know was pregnant, has given birth to his daughter on Hirta. With a major storm hitting the Scottish coast Andrew made his way back to Hitra, on his boss' fishing boat, to not only save his wife Ruth and infant daughter, who at the time was suffering from diphtheria, but make up with his "father-in law" Peter who still held him responsible for his sons tragic death.****SPOILERS**** In the end the island was finally abandoned by it's hearty and proud inhabitants but Peter wasn't to be among them. Having made up with Andrew over Robbie's death Peter went the same route as his beloved son, falling to hi s death down the same 1,300 foot cliff, when he tried to retrieve a magic, to the people on Hirta, golden eagle egg as a souvenir.Not much of a story but beautifully photographed on the island of Foula with a cast of mostly non-professional giving the film "The Edge of the World" the stark black and white realism that the major movie studios, back then in 1937, couldn't.
whpratt1 This is truly a great classic film which was located on an Island called Foula near Scotland and this film calls it the Shetland Island where a group of Scotish people dwell in the fog and a stormy sea against huge rocks and cliffs. There is naturally a love story between a man and a woman who are unable to get married because the young lady's father will not give his permission for the marriage. You see a very primitive way of living and it is rather depressing to see nothing but gloomy and stormy days all the time on this island that is not able to support itself and will eventually have to be vacated. The film makers had a very hard job in trying to bring their camera equipment up the steep cliffs of this island and the weather conditions also gave a great deal of problems to the production of this film. In many ways this is a very unusual film and the title for this film is very suitable for this film which is almost hard to believe that people could possibly ever live on an island like this.
didi-5 'The Edge of the World' presents the story of the death of an island, St Kilda (although filmed on Foula due to access restrictions), through the eyes of the two main families living there.The Grays look for progress and to the mainland for survival, while the Mansons nurture the old way of life. But do their children feel the same way? Evocative, groundbreaking in its construction (using camera tricks and the natural scenery to create its spell), and containing a number of fine performances, not least from John Laurie and Finlay Currie as the rival family heads, and Niall McGinnis as the Gray son, impatient to marry and escape the slowly shrinking community, 'The Edge of the World' is a special film.Short on plot, slow-moving, and strong on atmosphere, this film gives a taster of what would come in later Powell-Pressburger efforts such as 'A Canterbury Tale' and especially 'I Know Where I'm Going!'
nnnn45089191 This early effort by director Michael Powell is simply a stunning visual treat. Shot on location on one of the British isles,the visuals are both dramatic and beautiful.What amazed me was how different this movie was from others I've seen from the same period.It seemed so modern in the way of storytelling. The basic story of the film is quite predictable but the actors commitment heightens the drama's impact. John Laurie is the standout in the cast.But what lingers is the powerful depiction of the harsh life on these isles,constantly battling nature's forces.This movie is a cherished record of a way of life that now has almost completely disappeared. To fans of Michael Powell this is a must-see, and I recommend this amazing film to everybody.