Rob Roy (1995)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Michael Caton-Jones

Writer:

Alan Sharp (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 April 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Honor made him a man. Courage made him a hero. History made him a Legend

Plot:

In the highlands of Scotland in the 1700s, Rob Roy tries to lead his small town to a better future,...

Plot Keywords:

Scotland | Torso Cut In Half | Homosexual Subtext | Love | Nude Swimming

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Liam Neeson	...	Robert Roy MacGregor
Jessica Lange	...	Mary MacGregor
John Hurt	...	Montrose
Tim Roth	...	Archibald Cunningham
Eric Stoltz	...	Alan MacDonald
Andrew Keir	...	Duke of Argyll
Brian Cox	...	Killearn
Brian McCardie	...	Alasdair McGregor
Gilbert Martin	...	Will Guthrie
Vicki Masson	...	Betty
Gilly Gilchrist	...	Iain
Jason Flemyng	...	Gregor
Ewan Stewart	...	Coll
David Hayman	...	Sibbald
Brian McArthur	...	Ranald McGregor

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

139 min | Spain:133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Peru:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (cut) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Caig Falls Bridge, Loch Arkaig, Highland, Scotland, UK

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

The last cinema film of Andrew Keir.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the dance/gathering midway through the movie, a member of the band is playing the bodhrán, a frame drum, with a stick called a tipper. For one thing, the bodhrán is a primarily Irish instrument, and there is little evidence to support its presence in 18th-century Scotland. In any case, the tipper style used in the movie is a complete anachronism, not having developed at all until the past hundred-odd years, and only used popularly in the last fifty. Any 18th-century Scottish bodhrán would have been playing by striking it with the hand.

Quotes:

Mary MacGregor: Robert, there is more. I am with child... and I do not know who the father is.
Robert Roy MacGregor: Ach, Mary...
Mary MacGregor: I could not kill it, husband.
Robert Roy MacGregor: It's not the child that needs killing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth (2000) (V)

Thoroughly enjoyable, intelligently-made period action/drama

From the excellent acting of an extremely impressive cast, to the intelligently written (and very quotable) script, from the lavish cinematography to the beautiful music score by Carter Burwell, Rob Roy offers a rarity in movie going experiences: one that is nigh impossible to find fault with in any area.

There have been several comparisons made with Braveheart, which came out the same year. With all due credit to Mel Gibson, Braveheart struck me as too much of a self-conscious and preachy epic to rival Rob Roy as the kind of movie I would care to see more than once. While Braveheart works hard to be a serious epic, Rob Roy just grabs you and absorbs you into its tightly edited storytelling. Not a single scene is wasted.

Rob Roy contains the perfect balance of dramatic tension, action and even occasional humor. The characters are well fleshed-out, perfectly conveying vernacular and mannerisms that anchor them in their authentic period setting.

Further, they are not caricatures of good and evil as we all too often observe in even modern film.

For example, while we hope the heroic Rob Roy prevails, we realize his predicaments are products of his own pride and sense of honor. Tim Roth plays one of the most hateful bad guys in the history of cinema, yet there are moments when we can understand how the events of his life have shaped him into becoming what he is. Rob Roy employs a level of character development that makes its story even more believable and gripping.

Rob Roy is a delightful treasure, featuring one of the greatest sword fights ever choreographed and a climatic ending worthy of all the tense anticipation.