Rating: 
Summary: A masterpiece....
Review: "I Know Where I'm Going" centers on the relationship of a modern British woman and the amazing change in her life when she visits the Scottish Hebrides. A charming fantasy, and a great film to show to the one that you love the most. I saw the videodisc version years ago ... I hope the DVD surpasses it!Powell and Pressburger were at top speed when they made this classic. One must look for other films that Roger Livesey has starred in ... most notably the film which we Americans call "Stairway to Heaven," made just after WWII in brilliant Technicolor. On another note, I could say that I'm a bit lucky. I had the opportunity to visit the island of Mull where much of the film was shot. The hotel that was in the film [The Western Isles" is still there ... has been wonderfully restored, and the people who run it know the hotel's place in British film history. MacBrayne still runs the ferry service from the mainland town Oban, where you catch the train to Glasgow. Many of the other places in the film that weren't shot in-studio are still there ... including the castle where a young Petula Clark -yes-,the singer -- plays a precocious child.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece....
Review: "I Know Where I'm Going" centers on the relationship of a modern British woman and the amazing change in her life when she visits the Scottish Hebrides. A charming fantasy, and a great film to show to the one that you love the most. I saw the videodisc version years ago ... I hope the DVD surpasses it! Powell and Pressburger were at top speed when they made this classic. One must look for other films that Roger Livesey has starred in ... most notably the film which we Americans call "Stairway to Heaven," made just after WWII in brilliant Technicolor. On another note, I could say that I'm a bit lucky. I had the opportunity to visit the island of Mull where much of the film was shot. The hotel that was in the film [The Western Isles" is still there ... has been wonderfully restored, and the people who run it know the hotel's place in British film history. MacBrayne still runs the ferry service from the mainland town Oban, where you catch the train to Glasgow. Many of the other places in the film that weren't shot in-studio are still there ... including the castle where a young Petula Clark -yes-,the singer -- plays a precocious child.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable film! (VHS Edition), (by stardustraven)
Review: 'I know where I'm going' is another film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and was released as one their Archers productions in October 1945. It's the story of assured, determined Joan Webster who travels to the Scottish Hebrides to marry a rich man. But when she meets a penniless Scottish laird her intentions are thoroughly thwarted. This film was shot in black and white on location on the island of Mull [of the cast only Roger Livesey who plays the part of the laird Torquil, didn't set foot on Mull because of engagements elsewhere]. 'I know where I'm going' is an unforgettable love story which features two of the most eminent British actors: Wendy Hiller as Joan and Roger Livesey as the laird Torquil, and they certainly carry this film. The message of 'I know where I'm going' is to embrace life and love, and this picture is enchanced by such diverse symbols as a wonderful dreaming sequence, a castle with a curse on it, hawks, gales, a turmoil and the Scottish landscape itself. Wendy Hiller is wonderful as Joan, it's a delight to watch her unbend, and embrace the love/life she truly desires [that is Torquil]. Roger Livesey is equally riveting as the very charming Torquil and his golden, deep voice is definitely an asset to his acting skills. Of the supporting cast I was also very fond of Pamela Brown's Catriona. A free spirited Highland lass who lives with wolfhounds. 'I know where I'm going' is also remarkable for its authentic treatment of Scottish culture. There's a lot of Gaelic spoken in this film and Joan and Torquil visit a traditional Highland 'ceilidh'. The stunning Scottish landscape itself is another important 'protagonist' in this film. All in all, 'I know where I'm going' is definitely one of the most riveting and unforgettable productions of the Archers.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great Michael Powell film
Review: A typically wry, enchantingly off-beat and spiritually inclined Michael Powell-Emric Pressberger film, which extols the mystery and unpredictability of life, and the love of human foibles and natural splendor. Wendy Hiller stars as a young, ambitious "new Briton," an unabashed goldigger eager to make the most of the modern life and her rapid upward mobility. She's off to a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides, where she's scheduled to wed a extremely wealthy (but rather boorish) English Lord, and thus cap off her ambitious rise into the upper class. Of course, she doesn't know it, but fate has planned otherwise. When she arrives at the nearby island of Mull (a real place, with real features that were incorporated into the the plot of the film) she is halted by the North coast's uncontrollable weather, and while she's stuck on Mull, finds herself charmed by the earthy locals. In particular, she is smitten by young Torqvill, the laird of a decrepit local castle (Roger Lifesey), who lives life with gusto, despite being heir to a fallen fortune. The city-slicker whose priggishness is called into question by kooky, loveable locals is, of course, a story that has been done many times both before and since this film was made ("Englishman Who Went Up A Hill..." etc...) But somehow, this Michael Powell outing has long been a cult favorite, as seen in several bonus featurettes that accompany the film on the DVD version. The DVD makes the most of its "extras," with several excellent featurettes, including a short BBC documentary about the making of the film, in which "New Yorker" editor Nancy Franklin, smitten by the film, journeys to the island of Mull to recapture some of the grandeur and mystery she felt in the movie. Powell's widow, famed film editor Thelma Schoonmaker Powell, also narrates a couple of segments, gently illuminating Powell's artistic vision and love of nature, as she looks through his home movies and still from the production of the film. (Micheal Powell fans simply have to see these parts...) Cast notes: Livesey grows on you, but Wendy Hiller is unlikeable throughout -- the one real trouble with this film. And look for young Petula Clark, as the precocious daughter of an aristocratic family that hosts Hiller during her stay on Mull. An interesting film that captures a certian something about postwar Britain, with beautiful cinematography and a stunning look at a real-life boat-swallowing whirlpool. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A (once?) little known masterpiece of film-making
Review: Although perhaps not as famous as some of the other movies crafted by the unstoppable team of Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell (such as the legendary Red Shoes, or the frighteningly beautiful Black Narcissus) this movie certainly ranks as one of, if not their absolute best. The Red Shoes was sent into the statosphere by it's haunting score, gorgeous cinematography, and pefect special effects. Black Narcissus by it's awe-inspiring use of light and color, and pefect characterization. But this movie is made great by the same thing that endears us to Capra and Kurosawa. This movie is about people. Ordinary people. And the things people do to survive, and pursue what they feel to be their chance at true happiness. But life doesn't always turn out the way you think, and real happiness may not lie where you once thought it does. Anyone who takes movies seriously must see this movie. Any fan of Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell must buy this movie. I know I love it. It's also my sister's favorite movie. And she a lot more about movies than I do...
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully scripted, acted and photographed.
Review: Bless my public library having offered this on video tape in the past, and bless the Criterion Collection for now making it available on DVD. This simple movie has not one false step. Those who have only seen Wendy Hiller in old age (e.g., in "A Man for All Seasons") will love seeing her play a modern (1940's) woman who "knows where she's going." In this case, she is going to the Scottish Hebrides to marry one of the richest men in the world when a storm intervenes, stranding her among an eccentric mix of locals, including a (young, handsome, down-to-earth) naval officer on leave from the war. The rest of the cast is as charming as Hiller, playing characters who are utterly believable. (A young Petula Clark endures particularly materialistic parents, who are not, of course, locals.) A DVD edition should make the black and white photography of this film even more striking.
Rating:
Summary: Great Little Film
Review: Great little film finally on DVD. Begat "Local Hero" which begat "Northern Exposure" but more romantic, charming, and innocent than either of those fine endeavors.
Rating:
Summary: Gem Of Film From 1947 UK
Review: I don't know how aware the general public is that there is an big niche market of women who absolutely adore romantic drama or comedy stories set in Scotland. Although they like present day stories set there, it is the period pieces that they really go bonkers over. This film is set in WWII Scotland, which now qualifies as history, in the wildest part of it, the Hebrides. Joan Webster (Wendy Hiller) travels there to marry a British industrialist, who she has never met, for his money. She is completely unapologetic about her proposed practical marriage of convenience and affluence. What completely throws her for a loop though is being marooned in a village due to the weather, where she meets handsome Scottish laird Torquil (Roger Livesey). He rents his land to her fiance as a primary means of support. It is the resolution of this triangle that is the plot of the film. Hardly earthshattering stuff except that Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were the creative talents behind the film. Their being the top talent in the UK at the time was a reputation well deserved. They crafted a small gem of a film here with a wonderful village and island offshore, peopled it with offbeat, eccentric characters and customs, and ultimately wrapped a love story around it that even involves an ancient curse and ruined castle of the laird's. I adored this curse and laughed for probably a full ten minutes when I read it. I thought at first that maybe the film should have been shot in color but then saw a documentary on the DVD showing the place in color and realized that all the atmospheric conditions would have been lost. An American film maker would not make this film the same way. This is a very British film. I would say that if you enjoyed, for example, Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller in "Pygmalion", which I did, you would equally enjoy this. If you hate all British films, in general, especially from earlier decades, then this 1947 film might not do a thing to change your mind. That is my only warning about it.
Rating:
Summary: A REAL GEM!
Review: I had never heard of this film until it showed up as a recommendation [....] I liked what the story was about, bought the DVD and it's become one of my favorite movies! It's absolutely magical, a wonderful remantic comedy. Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey are superb and so is the rest of the cast.
Rating:
Summary: A Small Wonder of a Film
Review: I had never seen this film before, but, being a fan of Powell and Pressburger, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed, to say the least. The film is filled with memorable characters and is set in a wonderful Scottish location. It is obvious that Powell was in love with the locale. Criterion continues to manufacture the most truly "special" editions available on the market. The secondary soundtrack is a truly informed commentary on the making of the film. The special documentary material includes extensive footage from Powell's earlier film "The Edge of the World" as well as commentary by Thelma Schoonmaker (Powell's widow), Martin Scorcese, and a woman who was so moved by the film that she journeyed to the location. Her color photos of the place are included and they are lovely. The bottom line on this film is that it is a magical, nearly undiscovered gem.
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