Kidnapped

This is an adaption of the famous Robert Louis Stevenson novel. I haven't read it myself but hear that this film is pretty faithful to the book. Set in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden in 18th century Scotland, a young man is sold into slavery by his unscrupulous uncle. He is soon rescued by a Jacobite rebel who is presently an outlaw wanted by the British government. The two men form an alliance of sorts and subsequently become involved in an incident that creates various complications.

The first thing that stands out from the outset here is that the cockney actor Michael Caine is starring in the role of Alan Breck, the Jacobite rebel. It seems like it must be a bit of miscasting, as it is difficult imagining Caine in such a role, however, pleasingly he is very good here and his film star charisma is used to very good effect for this particular character. The film also benefits a lot from plenty of nice on-location photography from around Scotland. It gives the whole production more of an authentic feel. The story-line is compelling and the direction is well-paced, while the events depicted are less over-the-top than in later Scottish adventures set in historical times such as Braveheart (1995) and this for me is a good thing. The story-line eventually dove-tails to a very bittersweet ending that seems like the only appropriate way to round things off.

The BBC broadcast an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's KIDNAPPED a couple of months ago ( I really must get round to reviewing that sometime )so I found myself comparing it with this version and unfortunately this is very much inferior

The problem lies in that the movie has very little in the way of action . There's a set piece on a boat that is skimmed over far too quickly , there's a sniper attack and Alan Breck killing a couple of redcoats and that's basically it as far as action scenes go with much of the running time taken up with Breck telling everyone what a wonderful patriot he is . I guess the dialogue scenes taking precedent over sword fights and battles is caused by the producers hiring the services of some fine actors and wanting them to appear on screen as long as possible . It's fairly well acted , though I'm afraid Caine is rather miscast and he makes Alan Breck boorish and unlikable

There is one thing that puzzles me in this movie and it happens fairly often , and that is people recognise Breck as soon as they seem him even though they've not met him before but why should this be ? There was no mass media in the mid 18th Century so they'd be no TV cameras or photography and I doubt if a " Wanted " poster for Breck would capture his likeness and yet nearly every time Breck is spotted someone always gasps " It's Alan Breck ! "

Oh and can I just add something about the English / British debate that the redcoats are the Hanoverian British army while the Highlanders are Jacobites , they're Highlanders supporting the Jacobite heir Bonnie Prince Charlie and it's unlikely they considered themselves to be all that Scottish never mind British

May I take this opportunity to correct a misunderstanding that has arisen in connection with "Kidnapped". In doing so I shall not attempt a review of the film itself, other than to note here that it is reasonably well-made and entertaining.

Whatever the rights and wrongs (ethically speaking) of the breakup of the old clan system in the Scottish Highlands, and the claims of the Jacobite Succession, it is just plain wrong (factually speaking) to refer to the English as the "British" by contrast with the Scots. The term British refers to anyone who was a subject of the British Crown, subsequent to the Act of Union of 1707; it can refer indifferently to Scots, Welsh, English and Northern Irish, and historically (prior to Home Rule) to the Irish generally.

There may be some sentimentality on the part of American viewers who, mindful of their own War of Independence, wish to identify with others struggling against "British" rule. But the terms British and English are not, and should not be considered, interchangeable.

(There is great ignorance about this distinction in Continental Europe as well; I have had many animated discussions with German-speakers, who have failed to distinguish between "England" and "Grossbritannien", and with Francophones, who think that the whole of "Grande-Bretagne" is also "Angleterre". This may be politically comforting, but is culturally and historically WRONG!)

This rendition is exceptional and belongs in the movie Library of anyone who loves the classics. Michael Caine makes the movie. As Allen Breck he made the character everything I felt when I read the book. He looks and talks just as I pictured in my mind. Splendid indeed. David Balfou was drab and shy in the story and I found Lawrence Douglas to be just that. I love that this version follows the true chronicle, especially in the beginning and I felt like I was truly along with the characters in every scene. Donald Pleasence played Ebenezer Balfour brilliantly and his scenes with David are true to the original story. No other movie of Kidnapped was the same for me. Captivating as only Robert Louis Stevenson can be.

I enjoyed this movie very much. It is loosely based on two Robert Louis Stevenson novels, Kidnapped and its sequel Catriona. Those who would religiously stick to the contents of these novels will be disappointed in the adaptation. However, the film has, as it should IMHO, a world and plot of its own. Moreover, the plot is engaging and quite exciting.

The film movingly portrays a culture and political cause on the verge of destruction and the politics behind it. To a certain extent, it has to modify the plot of the two novels to effectively do so. Now it might have been nice if we could have heard the Scottish language spoken amongst the Highlanders. This absence makes it harder to portray the cultural conflict which was important both in the period and in the novels. However, we can forgive the film's makers by remembering that such was rarely done in the early 1970s.

The plot may not be entirely accurate in detail (the Appin murder, etc), but the portrayal of the Jacobite Rebellion is both very accurate and insightful, surprisingly so for a big-time film. The ending is a terrific and original attempt to convey the thoughts and psychology of a man through the medium of film.

All that aside, it is a historical adventure. One either likes that genre or doesn't. If the former, then the chances are you will like this.