Sense of unreality

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 11

Sense of unreality

By

KEN COATES

One problem about television’s promoting its own productions is that viewers can come to expect too much from the product eventually screened.

Having said that, however, I must add that the first episode of “The Mackenzie Affair” was a little disappointing in several respects. This was the scenesetter for Jamie Mackenzie, the highland shepherd, whose kinsfolk were subject to the most oppressive and harsh treatment from landlords, the English soldiery, and the authorities.

Those were days when survival was at stake, but somehow the reclism of hunger, harsh treatment, and bitter feelings did not come through strongly. Faces were too well fed, and speech often too well modulated, lacking roughness and desperation. Even the rather staged clash between the English soldiers and the crofters was muted, and throughout there was insufficient feeling of the squalor, suffering, dirt, hunger,

cold, and cruelty one would expect.

Roddy McMillan, as Jamie’s Uncle Christian, was a strong character who wore his role well, and Mclver, the landowner’s man, was familiar and professional as the procurator fiscal’s assistant in “Sutherland’s Law.” James Cosmo, as Mackenzie, does not emerge fully as a strong character until later in the series — to some extent he was obscured in the first episode bv events.

Jessie, played by Ann Hasson, could perhaps have appeared more harrowed and desperate than she did, reflecting visually the hatred she felt for the English and disregard for her own personal safety.

It was just too much to accept that Mclver would know exactly where to find Mackenzie the morning after he had given Wooler and the constable the slip. Having veiwed the second episode, I can assure viewers that the series does improve, especially when Mackenzie establishes what manner of man he is.