Susan Granger’s review of “The Legend of Loch Lomond” (IMAX)
And now for something different…. This new IMAX presentation is not a travelogue, not a natural history lesson and definitely not an archeological exploration. So what is it? It’s a love story, inspired by the legend behind the popular Scottish folk song “The Bonnie Bonnie Banks o’Loch Lomond.” The contemporary narrative begins: “Some places are so powerful that they inspire songs.” “Ye’ll tak’ the high road and I’ll tak the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland afore ye…” And as a trio of female musicians is driving along winding Scottish roads en route to a gig at a picturesque old castle near the banks of Loch (Lake) Lomond, they decide to include this traditional folk song as part of their repertoire. The band’s arrival piques the interest of Robbie McCrimmon (Stuart Sinclair-Blyth), a handsome kilt-clad bagpiper in a nearby pub, who is immediately drawn to Mary (Kristy Mitchell), telling her about a mysterious woman, an apparition, who haunts the loch, as if she’s waiting for someone, adding: “Legends are things historians don’t understand.” Intrigued, Mary, indeed, spies the sad, lonely lassie, Lady Moira (Fiona Bell), who pleads for help in finding her lad, Allan McGregor (Paul Blair), relating a tragic tale of ill-fated love back in 1745, when the Jacobites rose up against the Redcoats. Deciding that conversing with a ghost is just too weird, Mary flees back to the castle. But then she reconsiders. Since it’s Midsummer’s night, perhaps with Robbie’s help, she can go through the Mistgate to the past and reunite the legendary lovers. Produced for a Scottish economic development agency, sponsored by the Scottish Tourist Board, and narrated by Brian Cox, it’s a very short (38 minutes) docu-drama, directed by Mike Slee. Problem is: the storyline is far too thin, too clichŽ-ridden and the acting is amateurish. Besides, most people don’t have a clue about the Jacobites whose heroic resistance is at the core of the drama. So I did a bit of research. The Jacobites were supporters of the claim to the British throne of the deposed James II and his son James, the “Old Pretender.” In 1745, the Highland chiefs under “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” Charles Edward Stuart, won several battles, only to be forced back and slaughtered by the British Redcoats at the battle of Culloden, ending the Jacobite cause forever. The song, it seems, was written by one condemned Scottish soldier to his sweetheart back home. The aerial photography is rich and quite majestic, yet the cinematic potential of the large-screen IMAX format is, basically, wasted. In fact, “The Legend of Loch Lomond” has already been released on DVD, complete with an excellent behind-the-scenes “making of” feature. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Legend of Loch Lomond” is a romantic 6 with the haunting bagpipe melodies reflecting the murky mystery of the loch.
