The Road Dance: 1 (Hebrides)

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We walked a very thin line between telling the true story – it was based on true events – yet at the same time making it entertaining and not so terribly dark and depressing that no one would want to see it. W hen watching The Road Dance for the first time, you get a strong feeling you know which way it will go. With the themes of war running throughout, in this case The Great War, which ravaged small communities such as the one depicted in the film, a viewer would lean towards thinking this would be the focus of the story. But they’d be wrong. The heartbreak and tragedy of sending young boys off to fight an enemy, thousands of miles away, for a seemingly unnecessary cause, makes for an emotional storyline itself. However, the real focus of the story is those left behind, and without giving too much away, how a series of tragedies affected one young girl and her family. She is in love with a man named Murdo, who is interested in poetry and wants to emigrate to the United States. However, before he can do so, he must go to fight in World War I. At a dance to send off the village's young men to war, Kirsty is raped. She tells no one, and the local doctor who treats her injuries makes the rape her secret. If you are familiar with the book, you may find that the ‘twist’ is revealed too easily and too early. If you enjoy the costumes of The Outlander, this has similar vibes. If you like your films fast paced with lots of chaotic action, then The Road Dance is not your usual watch, but don’t dismiss it out of hand; a change of pace and genre may be just what you need right now. If you love seeing literature laced through your viewing, you will adore The Road Dance. If you want to provoke a discussion with young people about the issues involved, there is a whole workshop based around this film begging to be written. If you are someone who has been affected by sexual trauma, then I simply want to warn you that that is included, but to reassure you that the resolution of the film is overwhelmingly heartening. Ten years before, a ship had arrived on the sea loch. It had come to take some émigrés away to the Americas. The sight of the ship thrilled her.

The Guardian review gave the film 3/5 stars, stating "Although a little too performatively Scottish at times, this is a competently made weepie that should please fans of the book." [9] The Sydney Morning Herald gave the film 3.5/5 stars and praised the filming locations and the strong cast. [10] The Irish Times gave the film 3/5 stars. They praised the acting and production but compared the story to an afternoon movie along the lines of a Catherine Cookson novel. [11] Awards [ edit ] Now, in an exclusive interview ahead of its cinematic release in the UK and Ireland on May 20, the film’s American producer Jim Kreutzer has spoken to The Courier about the opportunist phone call that led to the movie. How could I have my home in America while I have my own big girl right here on the island? You’re here, your Mam is here and Neil and Annie. This is my home.’ My previous acting experience involved the challenging role of playing a newsreader in a TV drama. And my voice was overdubbed with an English accent. Will Fletcher plays Kirsty’s love interest Murdo in The Road Dance. We spoke to him to find out more about the challenges and highlights of filming on the Isle of Lewis and why this is such an important story to tell. Will Fletcher and Hermione Corfield play the film’s leads. Credit: Parkland Entertainment Can you tell us a bit about Murdo’s character and his journey in the film?Would you like to have your home in America Father?’ Her father was silent for a moment as he looked to the ship before he stooped and swept her up in his strong arms. The authenticity of filming on the island where events happened, adds so much. Weather conditions, short daylight hours, the quality of the light in that place, historical buildings, local people enlisted as extras, musicians from the area, and that extraordinary raw scenery, could not have been emulated anywhere else, and the production’s full investment in the Isle of Lewis shines through. Originally, this film premiered at The Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2021, and there is a deep sense of ‘rightness’ about that, as it is a Scottish film through and through, made during Covid on a relatively low budget, using smatterings of Gaelic, authentic Schottische routines, the practicalities of a crofting lifestyle, and referencing things that have their roots in that unique heritage – the road ceilidh (or dance) being the main one, but it’s general release gives it the wider audience it deserves.

John] has been so gracious to us throughout this whole process. He has never wavered in his support and belief in us, nor did he ever make strong or outrageous demands in how we adapted his book to the screen,” she said.

The Road Dance Trailer

We balanced that for a while and eventually with Richie’s help we got through to the final version. Everyone said ‘look this is just too dark, you can’t make this movie and expect anybody to come out of here without feeling it’s time to go home and jump off a cliff’, figuratively speaking. Kirsty and Murdo discuss the possibility and dream of living in America. They secretly pledge to marry and openly declare their love forever to each other. Clarke, Donald (20 May 2022). "The Road Dance: A pleasant, middling sort of story". The Irish Times . Retrieved 24 October 2023.

Maryilene and I sent the book on to a publicist in London we worked with on Tommy. We sent the book onto Bob Last who was our producer on Tommy, and we had some opinions from these different people. The Road Dance, directed by Richard Adams, is a historical melodrama set on a remote Scottish island during World War I. Kirsty, played by Hermione Corfield, is assaulted by a group of soldiers and becomes pregnant as a result. She tries to hide her pregnancy for almost seven months, knowing that revealing it would ruin her reputation and bring shame to her family. The village gossip, Old Peggy, becomes suspicious of Kirsty and begins to spread rumors. That’s difficult, there really are so many. The cast all went for a day out in Harris, and we saw beautiful waterfalls and scenery. That was the last weekend, when the film had all been wrapped, so we were sad it was coming to an end, and it was good to have a day out altogether.

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The biggest challenge was the weather. I have never experienced anything so dramatic, it changed about four times an hour. We arrived in October, and the weather got increasingly worse each day. Overall, though, the locations were incredible, and the weather certainly adds to the drama of the film. We’d be doing the first take and you’d see these enormous grey clouds racing towards us dramatically from the Atlantic. In some of the shots my face looked incredibly warped after a hailstorm, but then it is blue-sky weather in the shot! Wearing all that period costume on top of a hill was also very challenging – if the wind takes you when you’re wearing a cape, you’re out of there for sure!” Credit: Parkland Entertainment How did you go about researching your role?

Under the watchful eyes of family and neighbours young people clutch a bible,keep up appearances and enjoy dances as a way to socialise,snatch intimate moments and add joy to their hardworking lives.Describing him as “very much a gentleman” and “very humble” throughout the process, John didn’t ask for much other than for his son to play the bagpipes in the movie. Maryilene Blondell, CEO of Sheridan Road Productions, explained her partner Jim Kreutzer was inspired to turn John’s book into a film after reading it while working on the award-winning film Tommy’s Honour. Whilst [Jim] was in Scotland during production, he was looking for another book to read and stumbled across John’s book,” she said. I hadn’t even thought of it until the actor David Hayman first suggested it when he came into STV for an interview. The film was premiered at the 2021 Edinburgh International Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Film. [5] The film was released on 20 May 2022. [6] Critical response [ edit ]