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The Brothers

  • 1947
  • Approved
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
194
YOUR RATING
Maxwell Reed and Patricia Roc in The Brothers (1947)
Period DramaDrama

The McFarishes and the Macraes are lifelong enemies living on a remote island in the Western Isles of Scotland. Mary Lawson is a Scottish orphan brought up in a convent who arrives on the we... Read allThe McFarishes and the Macraes are lifelong enemies living on a remote island in the Western Isles of Scotland. Mary Lawson is a Scottish orphan brought up in a convent who arrives on the weekly steamer to come and work as a servant to the Macraes. Mary is warned that she must ha... Read allThe McFarishes and the Macraes are lifelong enemies living on a remote island in the Western Isles of Scotland. Mary Lawson is a Scottish orphan brought up in a convent who arrives on the weekly steamer to come and work as a servant to the Macraes. Mary is warned that she must have no dealings with the McFarish family but living a lonely life she encourages the friend... Read all

  • Director
    • David MacDonald
  • Writers
    • L.A.G. Strong
    • Muriel Box
    • Sydney Box
  • Stars
    • Patricia Roc
    • Will Fyffe
    • Maxwell Reed
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    194
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David MacDonald
    • Writers
      • L.A.G. Strong
      • Muriel Box
      • Sydney Box
    • Stars
      • Patricia Roc
      • Will Fyffe
      • Maxwell Reed
    • 11User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

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    Top cast15

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    Patricia Roc
    Patricia Roc
    • Mary Lawson
    Will Fyffe
    Will Fyffe
    • Aeneas McGrath
    Maxwell Reed
    Maxwell Reed
    • Fergus Macrae
    Finlay Currie
    Finlay Currie
    • Hector Macrae
    Duncan Macrae
    Duncan Macrae
    • John Macrae
    John Laurie
    John Laurie
    • Dugald
    Andrew Crawford
    • Willie McFarish
    James Woodburn
    • Priest
    Morland Graham
    • Angus McFarish
    Megs Jenkins
    Megs Jenkins
    • Angusina
    Patrick Boxill
    • The Informer
    Donald McAllister
    • George McFarish
    David Keir
    • Postman
    Jack Lambert
    Jack Lambert
      Charles Rolfe
      • Islander Taking Part in Singalong
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • David MacDonald
      • Writers
        • L.A.G. Strong
        • Muriel Box
        • Sydney Box
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews11

      6.8194
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      10

      Featured reviews

      10Glaschu

      An eerie tale of tragedy in the Scottish Highlands

      I have seen this film only once, around 1975, but remember it vividly. "The Brothers" is an eerie tale of tragedy in the Scottish Highlands. Set in the Isle of Skye (known as "Eilean a' Cheò/Isle of the Mist") amidst the Gaelic-speaking Celts who inhabit the island, it is full of mystery and superstition surrounding a stern old patriarch, his two sons and the Atlantic coastal community they inhabit. The ensuing tragic story of love and crime wrought by the son is worthy of Shakespeare or classic Greek plays. I was reminded of it somewhat by "The Field" with Richard Harris. If only this film were still available. Someone please re-release it!
      10ericefstratiadis

      Undiscovered Classic

      A friend who had seen this obscure film recommended it and when it was on late one night I taped it and what a classic it is! It was on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation,the Federal Government free to air channel which plays great old black and white movies.

      Similar to 49th Parallel in its depiction of people in conflict in a strong natural environment which is as beautiful as it is unforgiving.Should be more widely known for its great music,scenery and acting.

      It's right up with Michael Powell's classics of the same time,release it on DVD now !!!
      6malcolmgsw

      between a roc and a hard place

      Rather a steamy menage a trois on the island of Skye.With 2 brothers in competition for Patricia Roc.All the usual Scottish character actors feature plus welsh Meg Jenkins.However Roc is like the proverbial fish out of water.She is totally unbelievable as a Scottish orphan.I wonder if the rather strange method of execution was dreamed up by the writers.
      5howardmorley

      Under Produced Film

      I only rated this film 5/10 as it seemed under-produced.There was always something missing in the storyline, the casting and even the filming.We had some authentic Scottish actors (but not Megs Jenkins who was Welsh) but Patricia Roc was badly miscast as the leading lady.I prefer to see her in the roles she was good at e.g. those she appeared as leading support for Margaret Lockwood The producers were shy about our sensitivities (probably as a result of war-time censorship) in that we did not see her demise in the film, nor the elder brother's demise by the male islanders on the Isle of Skye who came to exact revenge using the same curious method of execution they had earlier meted out to a turncoat who had shopped them to the excise men.The ending was unsatisfactory and rather abrupt.
      2wwfloo

      Culturally incorrect

      The film is set on Skye yet the girl is passed to the care of a Catholic priest and everybody else seems to be Catholic. The islands of the Hebrides in 1900 were rigidly segregated religiously. Skye was a devoutly Protestant island with its inhabitants being communicants of either the Protestant Church of Scotland or the strictly Calvinist Free Church of Scotland. I do not think there would be a single Catholic priest on the island. Only the islands of Barra and South Uist were devoutly Catholic. For me this renders the whole film farcical.

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      Related interests

      Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen in Little Women (2019)
      Period Drama
      Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
      Drama

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Film debut of Duncan Macrae.
      • Crazy credits
        Opening credits prologue: The Time SPRING, 1900

        The Place THE ISLAND OF SKYE

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      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • July 7, 1947 (United Kingdom)
      • Country of origin
        • United Kingdom
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Braća
      • Filming locations
        • Skye, Highland, Scotland, UK
      • Production company
        • Sydney Box Productions
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        • 1h 38m(98 min)
      • Color
        • Black and White
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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