Local Hero Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review
Mathew Plale
January 23rd, 2020
MacIntyre (Peter Riegert, better known as “Boon” in ANIMAL HOUSE) is a high-up executive at a Houston-based oil company. The company is close to acquiring land in Scotland for a new refinery, and Mac has been selected to help the deal–not because he is skilled, but because he is Scottish. Which he is not.
And so Mac heads to his “home country” for business, there learning just how much Knox Oil and Gas will be taking over, changing the landscape of the village of Ferness permanently. Initially, Mac has much disinterest in the project and the land, in one sequence almost appearing trapped, as he and partner Danny (Peter Capaldi, who would later become the 12th Doctor Who) can no longer drive as they are engulfed in a thick mist.
Still, he falls under the town’s charm, as so often happens when visiting a foreign land. The viewer, too, may have difficulties turning away the village and all of its personality. There are the narrow winding roads, the gorgeous view of the water, the quaint and welcoming inn. The citizens, too, are quite the selection of characters. There’s marine researcher Marina (Jenny Seagrove, the Oscar-winning short A SHOCKING INCIDENT), who holds a curious little secret underwater (this gag gets one of the film’s biggest laughs); innkeeper Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson, recognizable to STAR WARS fans as Wedge Antilles), whose job resume is as lengthy as the shoreline; and Ben (Fulton Mackay, British sitcom PORRIDGE), whose history in the region dates back generations. It’s such a peculiar, fascinating little place, and it makes one want to spend a week at the least.
There is so much personality in LOCAL HERO that it is not easily forgettable. (The score, too, by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, adds so much without being intrusive.) And by not laying out exactly what might be expected from the viewer, it proves a delicately captivating gem. Writer/director Bill Forsyth (1981’s GREGORY’S GIRL, for which he won the BAFTA for Best Screenplay) pays sharp attention on all that is going on, presenting a wholly delightful comedy with laughs both in silence and in its terrific one-liners, exchanges and scenarios. Consider the scene where Mac unknowingly eats his beloved pet rabbit for dinner, so cringey yet howl-worthy. Or the entire meeting which takes place in whispers so as not to disturb the sleeping boss (Burt Lancaster, a few years after his final Oscar nomination, for ATLANTIC CITY), so unobvious in its delivery. It is undoubtedly one of the finest Scottish comedies.
LOCAL HERO was nominated for seven BAFTAs, winning for Best Direction.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: 1.78:1 in 1080p with MPEG-4 AVC codec. “This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution by Goldcrest Films, with additional restoration performed by the Criterion Collection.”
The video transfer is quite nice, showing off fine details, healthy colors and the stunning Scottish locales.
Audio: English Mono. “The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35 mm DME magnetic track using Avid’s Pro Tools and iZotope RX.”
Dialogue is crisp, while Mark Knopfler’s stellar score plays nicely through speakers.
Audio commentary from 2018 featuring director Bill Forsyth and film critic Mark Kermode
Bill Forsyth (16:25): Writer/director Forsyth sits down with film critic David Carins to discuss the themes and style of LOCAL HERO.
Shooting from the Heart (52:19): A 1985 documentary on cinematographer Chris Menges.
The South Bank Show (52:31): A 1983 episode of the program, covering the making of LOCAL HERO.
The Making of “Local Hero” (52:27): An fascinating archival documentary from 1983, featuring on-set footage and interviews with the likes of Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster.
I Thought Maybe I’d Get to Meet Alan Whicker (26:10): A 1983 conversation with Forsyth, who discusses both his documentaries and narratives.
Trailer
Also included with this Criterion Collection Blu-ray release: an essay by film scholar Jonathan Murray.
