I
have only seen four Wendy Hiller movies in my entire life. But recently I watched
a delightful little piece, I Know Where
I’m Going! This was indirectly
recommended to me as I read David Mamet’s book, Bambi Vs. Godzilla. He
mentions this film as his wife’s favorite movie of all time.[1] Okay, I’m game!
How
wonderful to see her in her younger days. Actually, she was a very handsome
woman. Playing the Princess Dragomiroff
in Murder on the Orient Express, I
found her rather creepy (and love doing that character’s voice myself!), and
had a nonplussed opinion of her due to this character, and she is emblazoned in my memory. But my opinion has changed, and, once again, I am
looking forward to seeing more of her filmography. I Know
Where I’m Going! is a 91-minute journey into the life of a woman who always
knew her own life plans. But upon heading to
an isle off the coast of Scotland (Kiloran) for marriage, she is bound by weather and finds
herself realizing her love is not of money and a man of substance, but for a
retired naval captain with all the riches of the world wrapped-up in happiness,
the village of his friends, and the true ties that bring the most fulfillments
in life.
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| Wendy Hiller & Roger Livesey - I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) |
Now
this naval captain is played by Roger Livesey, who not coincidentally stars in
a film I had watched immediately prior to this one – The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. This happens to be David
Mamet’s own personal favorite film he mentions in said book.[2] Originally a British comic strip in the
1940’s, the film is an entire backstory for this character. A strong attempt on banning the film was made
by Winston Churchill, but in today’s market, this well-crafted piece would have
been a shame to lose to Churchill’s demands, as it takes a look a the development of a man through three wars and how
he becomes who he is; something we all should do – take that retrospective walk
down 'memory lane' and see how we’ve been shaped and molded to become the people
were are as of now. Although Colonel
Blimp is fictional, it serves as a guide to encourage us in reality to do the
same.
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| Roger Livesey - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) |
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