Review of On the Black Hill

Introduction

At the end of the nineteenth century, Welsh farmer Amos Jones (Bob Peck) marries Mary Lattimer (Gemma Jones) after a brief courtship. He is a hardened sheep farmer; she is a refined English lady who is now homeless following the death of her father. She could have gone to stay with her sister in Cheltenham, but decided to stay with Amos in Wales as a farmer`s wife, living in `The Vision` - an old farmhouse with 120 acres of land and grazing rights on the Black Hill.

She falls pregnant and, in 1900, gives birth to twin boys, Lewis and Benjamin. They have an extremely close bond, to the point where each can feel the other`s pain. The story follows their lives for the next 80 years, covering two world wars and the deaths of their parents.

This adaptation of Bruce Chatwin`s novel was rejected many times before writer/director Andrew Grieve showed the script to Colin MacCabe, the head of BFI production, who saw its potential and agreed to finance the project.

Video

The anamorphic 1.77:1 transfer doesn`t quite have the clarity that the stunning cinematography deserves - I imagine it`s almost impossible to make a bad looking film in that sort of landscape and `On the Black Hill` looks terrific. However, there is some slight graining, which is a real shame.

Audio

The Dolby Digital mono English soundtrack is perfectly serviceable, though some dialogue is indistinct and there are no subtitles available.

Features

The introductory booklet by Andrew Grieve is an interesting read, and is almost a replacement for a commentary.

Short Film: Peter and Ben - this 10 minute documentary is about a man called Peter, who upped sticks, moved to the hills and adopted a lamb which he named Ben is a touching and funny watch.

Gallery - sixteen photos of the film and its production which run automatically, but can be skipped through if you don`t want to wait the ten seconds for the next slide.

Conclusion

A film about twins in a small area of Wales spanning over 80 years, during which nothing much happens, isn`t going to be everyone`s cup of tea, yet there`s much more to `On the Black Hill` than just that. There is the initial playful relationship of the 6 year old twins and how they react to their baby sister, then times get much harder as the film picks up the story when they are 12 and again in their late teens/early twenties, played by Mike and Robert Gwilym.

The film subtly deals with the two world wars and how they cope with hardship. Amos is a particularly hard patriarch, yet it`s impossible to condemn his behaviour, given his background and tough life. He is brilliantly played by Bob Peck and Gemma Jones is equally impressive as Mary, who struggles to adapt to her new life and environment, trying to reason with Amos and his temper.

By far the most notable aspect of the film is the ageing of the twins - the same two actors play them across six decades and their acting, combined with excellent make up effects is extremely convincing. `On the Black Hill` isn`t the most exciting film you`ll ever see, but it is compelling, interesting and absorbing. Worth a look.