I Know Where I'm Going!

BFI Film Classics

by Pam Cook

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) is a simple moral tale set in the wild Scottish Highlands. This book traces the film's production history, exploring its place in Powell and Pressburger's canon. Focusing on the use of special effects, the book reveals a technologically ambitious masterpiece.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2002

Reviews

[Patrick McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pam Cook's BFI: I Know Where I'm Going! (2002) is another stand out volume of the informative and analytical series from the British Film Institute. Cook gives context by discussing directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberg's production company the Archers and the context in which the film was made. This includes looking at British Cinema in context with Europe and interestingly she draws a comparison between this film and German F.W. Murnau's 1922 film Sunrise which Cooks finds similarities in theme and exposition in the films. I also found the section "The Scottish Question" fascinating as she analyzes the decision and significance of setting the film in Scotland. Cook also does an impressive job of discussing the visual and musical elements of the film and how they enhance the story. All in all, this is an excellent overview and analysis of a charming and enduring film.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I know where I'm going, I know who's going with me,”

A young lady (Windy Hiller) pretty much knows what she wants in life. On her way to her wedding on a remote Scottish island she is delayed long enough to experience a different way of life and a reality that she was never exposed to. Here she finds different values and the difference between real nobility and the early version of plastic money. She is overwhelmed by her new discovery and the man (Roger Livesey) who introduced her to it. Now she must desperately escape or be lost forever in this different world.

I like to keep screenplays of some of the best movies as The BFI series or screenplay series is a must for any serious videophile. These books separate the video into its basic constituencies and allow one to understand what the subliminal shots are supposed to portray.

I find myself coming back and back and back to this book probably more than the movie itself as this is one of the best of the Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger cinematic classics.

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compact book that contextualises the making of the film, provides a fascinating insight into its complicated production and direction. Personally, I would have liked more information about the actors but it isn't a biography after all. The book is well illustrated with just enough b&w photographs (not too many). Definitely a must read for Powell and Pressburger fans, or anyone with an interest in early 20th-century British cinema, particularly during WW2.

Picked this up at the Trinity Book Sale this year.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay overview of a truly wondrous movie.