Brigadoon (1954)
Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Film Review

Vincente Minnelli's least successful attempt at a musical, Brigadoon fails spectacularly to rekindle the magic of the phenomenally successful Broadway musical show which inspired it, mainly on account of MGM's insistence that it be filmed entirely on a sound stage.  Had it been shot at least partly on location, Brigadoon could have just about worked as a film musical; entirely confined to the studio, it feels airless and dull, its impact further weakened by some lacklustre choreography (some of Gene Kelly's worst work) which fails to make the most of Frederick Loewe's fine musical compositions.  It isn't all bad - Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse bring plenty of glamour and sparkle to the film, and Van Johnson's hard-nosed cynic makes a welcome departure from the dewy-eyed romantics that populate most musicals of this kind.  Unfortunately, this is not enough to salvage the dullest thing Minnelli ever put his hand to, a film that, like its titular village, deserves only to be seen once a century.

Film Synopsis

Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas are two Americans who are enjoying a hunting holiday in the Scottish countryside.  They lose their way and once the mist has cleared they come across a village which is teeming with life and seems to be out of another time.  At first the locals are reluctant to talk to the Americans, but Tommy and Jeff are soon accepted and discover the fantastic secret of the village.  Some centuries ago, a spell was cast on the village, Brigadoon, so that it would appear for only one day in every hundred years.  If anyone should choose to leave the village, it will vanish forever.  When Tommy falls in love with one of the villagers, Fiona Campbell, he must decide whether to stay or return to his home and family in New York.  If he leaves, he knows he can never come back...