A Scottish Tale Review

A Scottish Tale is a 2021 short film written and directed by Matthew Summer.

A tale as old as time is told through the eyes of a weathered Scottish soldier in A Scottish Tale, which lands effectively thanks in large part to the dedication of the lead Tony Greengrass.

Trying to produce a period piece is no easy task and in keeping things as simple as possible this short manages to transport us to a time far gone in a creatively effective manner. It is a simple campfire story that holds its weight close thanks to the aforementioned performance from our lead actor.

The elements surrounding this great slice of acting are all present too. We have a location that fits the part perfectly, costuming that is emblematic of the time, and props that feel genuine. At no point are we questioning where we are in time.

Add to that effective cinematography from Max Paterson, particularly on the close-up story shot from our lead, and we have a solid recipe for success.

If there could be one want from the short, it would be some further cutting to the two young men reacting as the story is being told to them. It is of course a sound choice to want to simply focus on the narrator of a tale, but some shot variety would have been nice to see as well.

Outside of this the elements that are delivered work really well. Even though this a stripped back short film it is not an issue for as everything here is quality work.

Serial

A Scottish Tale has a unique, layered narrative that has a moral center that can still apply today. It may be something that stripped back, but it uses that lack of high budget production in an advantageous manner.

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Cheers!

Daniel Hess

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