DVDs

Rob Roy

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Region 4

By Richard Moore

There's a tale that tells who God and St Peter were working out the best way to populate the world and the Creator was deciding on who to put into the Highlands of the British islands.

He called them the Scots and was going to give them plenty of rain to grow lush farmland for cattle and sheep; perfect mountains for deer; water from those peaks to create a fiery drink called whisky; and lovely long, deep valleys into which animals and people could rest during winter and emerge into a gloriously flowered spring.

St Peter saw the list of benefits for the Scots and said: "Lord, don't you think these Scots are getting a bit much?"

And God replied: "No, you should see the neighbours I'm going to give them!"

Now don't scream - there's Scots AND English blood in this fellow, but it is fair to say that as neighbours, the English were a bit of a pain.

And, when it came to dishing a bit of pain back to the southerners, the Highlanders were not backwards about coming forwards. They would raid the cattle herds of the Anglophile Scottish nobility and be as large a nuisance as they could to the "tourists".

One of the greatest Scots outlaws was Rob Roy MacGregor, whose legend arose from his long-running battle with the Duke of Montrose.

Bankrupted after being unable to repay a debt to the Duke, Rob Roy eventually led a band of some 500 men and, despite being once captured by his enemy, lived well into his eighties and died at home in 1734.

The 1995 version of Rob Roy starring Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, Tim Roth and John Hurt is an exciting romp through some very colourful times and it pulls no punches when it comes to the nastier side of life.

There's murder, theft, rape and treachery aplenty as a wonderfully debauched Tim Roth plays the hired sword out to part Rob Roy (Neeson) from life.

Paying the killer's fee is a nasty Montrose (Hurt) and trying to keep out of his clutches (in more ways than one) is MacGregor's wife (Lange) who performs well despite a slightly suspect accent.

The costumes are excellent and the cinematography breathes life into some spectacular scenes and landscapes.

There's not too much subtlety in the script, you know who to hate and who to like, but then the movie doesn't try to involve itself with weighty matters.

Rob Roy is an action yarn, about a man of action, and it does its job well.

Conclusion:

Movie: 80%

DVD Extras: 40%