Battle of Culloden film: Do we need more violence on screen?
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The National Trust for Scotland are to film a reinactment of the Battle of Culloden to be shown at the new 10 million visitor centre at Culloden, near Inverness in the Highlands. The reinacment will be staged in Scottish Borders as it is deemed inappropriate for it to take place on the actual battlefield.
The film is supposed to reinforce the horrors of battle. I don’t know if this is really necessary, we must have all seen enough battles and killing in various films. The film will form the centrepiece of the new exhibition centre. The National Trust are treading a fine line between wanting to portray the brutality of war but not wanting it to be like a horror movie. Is it an educational historical experience or a bit of entertainment of a dubious nature? I can imagine the terror and ferocity of battle without being surrounded by it on wall to ceiling screens.
January 27th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Hmm, not “appropriate” to be shown at the site? Then whats the point of it? The Scottish Borders was too a location of many bloody battles, especially the battle of Flodden in north Northumberland. So why is it “better” here in the borders?
January 27th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
It’s just my opinon that you can have a Visitor Centre at a the scene of a battle to commemorate that battlle and give information about the battle without the need for a gory film. I think that we should be left to imagine some things instead of necessarily having them supposedly recreated for us.
I think that the National Trust did not want to shoot the film on a battle site which contains the graves of some of those killed in the fighting. It also mentions in the article that it will cost less for the fliming to be done in the Borders in terms of transport of personnel. costumes etc
October 24th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
It’s a war grave, so you can’t film there. Similar terrain was sought - and found - on the borders.
As to not bringing home the ferocity of the battle, this is required. Like it or not - history needs to be taught, and remembered - and the full reality of what happened on that horrific day, and the months following it, needs to be rendered well and understood. Hence the visceral experience.
It’s also a key date in Scottish history, and to this day leaves comments on the union in general which are relevant.
The film serves education, and the ken of the country.
October 24th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Thanks for your comment, Alba. I do agree that history needs to be taught and I’m sure that survivors of the Great War 1914 - 1918 would have never imagined that there would a 2nd World War 20 years later. However I think it is the nature of some humans to kill each other in the name of country, religion etc despite knowing the horrors of war.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:44 am
is it funny how your trying to get your point and your point only that when someone makes a valid remark that you wafal on about the great war totaly off the subject which is the filming of culloden and do we need more violence on the screen, Well at the end of the day war is bloody and violent no mater what. The idea if the film is to give the visitor an insite of what the battle was like for the people on both sides would have experianced. This film is for educational purposes not for anybodys enjoyment
August 20th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Smith, thanks for your comment. I’m not convinced that the battle film will perceived as purely educational by everyone who watches it, I think it will be seen as entertainment by a fair percentage of the audience.