:48:02
Beautiful way to segue
:48:05
into the birth of the child.
:48:08
The use of light
and the faces of the islanders
:48:11
in this sequence
are beautifully done.
:48:16
Again the humour.
Always in Michael Powell films,
:48:20
the unexpected humour.
:48:21
The women all knitting away
:48:23
for the only child who's been born
on the island probably in years!
:48:27
Always trying to find moments when
the wind is blowing people's hair,
:48:32
or the sun is highlighting
their faces in a very evocative way.
:48:37
And then again, the blowing
of the smoke from the wind,
:48:41
the powerful mountain behind
:48:45
and the music, again the music.
:48:48
...brought you a dream, my dear
:48:55
List' to the curlew...
:48:57
(Christie) This sequence is among the
most successful in terms of lighting.
:49:01
It's a point where
the balance between natural light
:49:05
and, I imagine,
the use of reflectors
:49:08
achieves a very sophisticated,
very ethereal quality.
:49:11
It's an evening light,
and it's beautifully caught,
:49:15
that, knowing how difficult
the making of the film was,
:49:18
is quite miraculous.
:49:20
This quality of light is often known
by cameramen as the magic hour.
:49:25
It involves shooting
just at that point
:49:28
where the lengthening shadows
:49:30
don't interfere with
getting a decent image.
:49:33
Jack Cardiff, the great cameraman
:49:35
who later worked
with Powell and Pressburger,
:49:38
titled his autobiography
Magic Hour
:49:40
and talks about it there.
:49:43
Powell would often seek
these qualities of lighting
:49:46
and in his later Scottish film
I Know Where I'm Going
:49:50
there are also some magical uses
of the gloaming,
:49:54
the twilight effect.
:49:56
(Reel)