Brigadoon
The other night I sat with my eleven year old daughter and we watched on DVD. Doubtless you'll be familiar with the film. Gene Kelly and Van Johnson play two American tourists who discover a Highland village that only appears from the mist once in every century. Cyd Charisse is the local lassie who falls for Kelly.
Apparently the movie was filmed in a Hollywood studio because the producers came to Scotland and couldn't find a location that looked Scottish enough. Nor, it seems, were they impressed by genuine Highland accents and so the supporting cast experiment with voices that include Irish, Welsh and Esperanto.
Watching the flick at home I have to confess that we laughed, we cried, we sang and we danced. And yet, I felt a little bit guilty.
Brigadoon has become something of a by-word for an American stereotype of Scottish culture. Politicians and cultural commentators often spit out the word "Brigadoon" when they accuse others of having a "tartan and shortbread" view of Scotland.
Despite that, it's still a very popular choice of amateur dramatic societies. Yes, even here in Scotland. I reckon that it says a lot for our growing cultural confidence that we can now look on that film for what it is: a bit of fun.
I have to admit I have a soft spot for it, mainly because I remember watching it on ±«Óãtv 2 the night before I made my first ever train journey to Inverness. This was about eighteen years ago and, as a true Glaswegian, I had never been further north than Dundee. The Highlands were something of a mystery and as the train travelled from Perth, through Dunkeld and then Pitlochry I could see very little of the landscape. The hills and mountains were shrouded in mist. It was eerie.
Then, somewhere south of Aviemore, the mist cleared to reveal hillsides covered in purple heather.
"Just like Brigadoon," I thought and I kept my eyes peeled for pipe bands and tartan-clad dancers.
I've yet to see them, but every time I take that journey I scan the mountainsides, just in case.
There's a smile on my face, for the whole human race, why it's almost like being in love.
La, la, la.
