The Bridal Path

On a small Scottish island a ruling is made by the elders that no more first cousins will be allowed to marry in order to stop inbreeding and all that comes with it. Sadly for Ewan he is due to marry his first cousin. With the romance off Ewan travels to the mainland in order to get himself a wife. However several cases of mistaken intentions and mistaken identity find Ewan on the run from the police and trying to get back home.

I found this o the backwaters of channel 4 at about 4 am! I taped it as I always try to see as many different things as I can, rather than just relying on my multiplex to show me what exists in the cinematic world. The plot is very basic and a bit strange in that it admits that the islanders are inbred. However our hero is a huge man who appears strapping and not inbred at all! He sets off to find a wife but instead only fins whimsical misunderstandings and innocent humour. It's all very slight and never very funny but it has an affable mood about it and is warming if not hilarious.

Some of the accents are a bit off but most are OK. Travers plays the giant hero well and is as innocent a man as the role required. People like Cole and Terry Thomas with Scottish accents are a bit iffy but are amusing – especially Cole who was an old hand in film by 1959, having been a child actor.

Overall this is enjoyable and is interesting to see now because it's a type of film not made any more. I can't think of a single film that is recent that is as whimsical as this. The photography is great and Scotland looks beautiful in the constant sun (really – that's how it is!). An enjoyable, if slight, experience.

A real gem of a movie.

Funny, filled with many 'weel kent' faces, beautiful scenery and music.

No smut, violence, or anything nasty.

Leaves a good feel factor after watching.

A classic in my opinion.

A whimsical and thoroughly enjoyable film that only the British could have made and then, only in the 1950s. The gentle giant hero; the stereotypical and yet reassuring secondary characters; and the most beautiful scenery combine to make this charming film well worth the look.

No blood; no special effects; no nudity (we do get a glimpse of a woman changing at the beach which was probably pretty racy in 1950s Britain); and no improbable explosions. Just a peculiar reliance on something called 'story'. There aren't any real baddies in the film just a crowd of Englishmen and some incompetent but well meaning policemen.

Well written and very funny. Most of the gags still work very well. Even my teenage son sat through this film and laughed.

Heart-warming, comforting and, in the end, highly moral film that depicts Island life with it's minor prejudices (Catholics and Campbells) with a beautiful understanding and deeply affectionate approach. Nigel Tranter, the author of the original book, wrote many great stories about Scotland and I can recommend both this film and his books wholeheartedly.

A very funny film depicting the exploits of a Hebridean Scotsman and his search for a wife on the Scottish mainland. Though the dialog and comments by the characters often made me feel that you had to be either a Scottish Highlander or from Cape Breton Island in Canada to get some of the jokes (which are hilarious), I found the depiction of the locals to be both truthful and exaggerated, depending on the character. A previous commenter made reference to the "Irish" sound of the characters' speech. It is my experience that the Hebredians DO speak English in a rather Irish sounding way and not with the "burr" of the mainlanders. This to me makes the film easier to understand. I recommend the film highly.

This film deserves to be better known. If you liked Local Hero or Gregory's Girl, you will probably enjoy this one as well. It has the same quirky charm and unbelievably good weather to display the beauties of the Celtic fringe of Scotland. Some of the accents sound more Irish than Scottish, Bill Travers particularly, but he does make valiant efforts.

Not a deep film but a real delight, and well worth keeping to put in the VCR on a miserable winter's night.