now here's a film offering something a bit different
essentially a 75 minute video clip for a full length album
from scotland with love - a 2014 release by king creosote
the festival program promising a film of sotttish archival footage
which probably explains the decent number of people in attendance
average age - well - let's just say not likely to be king creosote fans
and of course dunedin has a strong scottish heritage so that a factor
the film starts as promised with grainy black and while early scenes
double-decker trolley buses and pedestrians dashing in all directions
the music starts with i guess a track by track play of the album in store
gentle folky acoustic guitar and spoken/sung words in soft english
the lyrics barely discernible to me but that's a normal state of being
my first impression - well it could be a long 75 minutes but settle..in
some colour then on screen with a production line at a bottling plant
an amber liquid being mechanically dumped into a line of bottles
ooch aye whiskey getting a very early mention in this random film
nothing stays on screen too long making it a bit godfrey reggio-ish
the difference here being a much more subdued soundtrack so far
there's nothing too linear about it either and no discernible message
with that realisation i relax into it and simply take it as it comes
and so it is - we see mostly black and white archival footage
children playing, men working and women housekeeping
a fair comes to town and there's all the usual attractions
there's a trip to the beach and sandcastles to be made
a journey in the country and a brief shot of loch ness
coal-miners actually seen smiling - is this propaganda?
they travel underground and dig, shovel and load trolleys
a reminder of the meaning of work a generation or 2 ago
cattle are herded, paddocks are scythed, seeds are sown
we see the call to the great war and troops packed on trains
ladies in their best outfits bidding farewell to their menfolk
and the men themselves seen smiling at the coming adventure
i'm thinking - all this could easily be 20th century en zed
especially that everyone seems to be of anglo-saxon descent
but then some scenes of ship-builders at work - ocean liners
scenes of an iron ore smelting furnace and how close they work
again - that is serious work - and some more colour on the screen
rivers of molten metal being manipulated to produce huge sheets
sheets of metal then seen being worked into place on the ship
then the launching - no fanfare as the props are knocked away
the ship sliding effortlessly into the water as workers watch on
and the music rolls on - unfairly thinking it's all quite - same-y
no electronica this time around for king creosote but that's ok
it suits the visuals and i hope the audience is enjoying it too
a large ocean liner then seen dockside and packed with people
ah - heading to the new world - the tears are flowing this time
those left behind most likely aware this could be a final farewell
and i finally engage with some lyrics from king creosote's tune
is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?
kind of morose really - the ship casts off - next seen in america
cruising into new york and some apprehensive people on board
then back at home there's a new year coming and a celebration
some fireworks, some dancing - and a familiar tune borrowed
king creosote mixing in the lyrics of auld lang syne into a tune
and that's about it folks - all very pleasant - thanks - scotland...
