From the time, Joan Webster (played by Wendy Hiller) could crawl, she always knew what she wanted and what steps to take to achieve her ends. Coming from a middle class background, Joan Webster's desire is to have the finer things in life. To achieve this goal, at 25 she is on her way from Manchester to the Island of Kiloran to marry the owner of Consolidated Chemical Industries, Sir Robert Bellinger. However, at the Island of Mull, the last destination before reaching the island of Kiloran, , a tumultuous storm strands her there for nearly a week. While stranded she meets Torquil Macneil, a soldier on 8 days leave. From him she learns many of local legends, but most importantly she learns to respect the natives who may be lean on money, but not laughter or happiness. In the turning point of the film, Joan asks Macneil, "they're poor, then?" "No" replies Macneil, "they just haven't any money". "Isn't it the same thing?" Joan asks. "Oh no, they're completely different", Macneil answers.Hiller's journey from Manchester to the Island of Mull with its cursed castles, devouring whirlpools, and violent gales really represents a quest; one which will lead the heroine to self-knowledge. Like the tumultuous storm, Joan's feelings are also tumultuous and only when she realizes that emotions cannot be controlled can she be free of the storm. Atmospheric and breathtaking cinematography leave one breathless, Well-directed, well-scripted, and acted; this film is an underrated gem.

From the opening segment from this less known Powell & Pressburger production we feel that you are going to get their insightful but quirky and offbeat film. However I found this to be a slight effort and not very romantic or stirring.Joan Webster (Wendy Hiller) since childhood knew what she wanted out of life. She is on her way to the isle of Kiloran in the Hebrides from Manchester to marry a wealthy and elderly industrialist. A marriage of convenience for her.Stranded by bad weather on the Isle of Mull, she meets naval officer, Torquil and is taken by him. She also later finds out that he is the Laird of Kiloran and her fiancé is actually leasing the island from him.Realising that she is falling for Torquil she desperately wants to make it to Kiloran and bribes a young sailor to take her there in heavy storm and Torquil follows and saves the boat from going sucked in a whirlpool. Both discern that they really were meant to be with each other.The film has a picture pretty Highland setting as you see people getting on with island life during the war. They might be poor but they are happy.The problem is Joan has not lost much by trading down from a rich old industrialist to a younger Laird who is more appealing to the heart. She pursuits her aims by selfish means even it results in a young sailor to potentially lose his life. This is not a person to root for in a romantic film, a heroine that appears to be cold and we are unsure that she has seen the errors of her ways.I believe that the film was written quickly and some of the sub- plots such as that of the eagle does look like filler.

I watched this movie a few months ago for the first time on a streaming website.I had never heard of this movie and I loved it."I Know Where I'm Going" is a treat for fans of the early British "Rank-The Archers" studio movies.For example "The Red Shoes" and "Scott of The Antarctic".Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey were interesting actors to play the two roles of Torquil and Joan who meet and develop a strong bond of friendship and then love.Wendy Hiller is an actress who has an earthy beauty,not the classic beauty like Vivien Leigh,but a refreshing wind in your face beauty.I believe that fact made her believable in her respective part.I had never heard of Roger Livesey until I saw this movie.I was fascinated with him.He has a classic British face and I thought he was quite handsome in a British sort of way.In the beginning scenes of the movie Joan was on a night train to Scotland and she was dreaming.A Tartan plaid pattern was used to incorporate the scenery of hills and the land in her dream while she was sleeping.I found that scene to be most clever and enjoyable.I had never seen a movie like this one before,and I was delighted with every moment.I liked the way the relationship developed slowly between Torquil and Joan.The way movies were made in earlier times was quite nice because the male and the female in a story don't disrobe and have sex against the wall as soon as they meet.The actress Pamela Brown who played Catriona was drop dead gorgeous!The music and the dance sequences were beautifully done.I loved the part where Joan was on a ladder watching the party and listening to the music and she looks down at Torquil and he translates for her a poem or some such thing,and he says to Joan "You're the only maiden for me",and gives Joan a steady intense look.Joan then lowered her eyes because she knew that what Torquil said was true.That is when Joan knew for sure that she was Torquil's girl and his alone.Talk about romance to make you swoon.The dialogue was intelligent and the movie was beautifully filmed partially on location.The whirlpool boat scenes were amazing for 1945.I read that Roger Livesey filmed all of his parts in a studio because he was doing a play in London or something like that.They used a double for some of his shots.If you have not seen this movie and you like romance and beautiful Scotland and its culture,you should see this one!

Nice job by Pressburger and Powell, by the performers, and by the crew. It's a convincing picture of the western islands off Scotland. The cool wind rushes across the bluffs and the puffy clouds are chased up and down the barren hills by their own shadows. And this is 1945 and in black and white. Special effects provide persuasive gales and rainstorms.In the middle of it all is Wendy Hiller, a young lady who knows where she's going. The introduction tells us that at age one she crawled in one direction across the floor. At age five she wrote a letter to Father Christmas, demanding a pair of silk stocking -- and not that artificial fabric either. At twelve, she had her stockings. By this time my heart was beginning to ship some water because I was reminded of my ex wife.However, this is a fairy tale. Hiller becomes engaged to one of the richest industrialists in England. Says her Dad, "Why, he's old enough to be your father," and Hiller replies with dignity, "And what's wrong with YOU?" Her fiancé is waiting for her on the far-off isle of Kilgoran where they will be married and spend their honeymoon. He's rented a castle there from the Laird of the Manor or whatever his title is. Alas, Hiller reaches the next to the last island in the chain and is stranded there first by fog and then by howling gale.At this point, we're waiting for the romantic stranger to show up in the little town because we don't believe for one minute that Hiller is REALLY going to marry that robber baron. Well, Roger Livesey is a stranger, and an officer in His Majesty's Navy too, AND the owner of the island of Kilgoren who is renting the castle out. I hope I'm not mixing up the geography but I might be, because Livesey seems to own a ruined castle just outside the little village where he and Hiller are stranded by the weather. I don't know. Can you own two castles? No matter. Livesey might not be romantic but he's a good-natured guy with a sense of humor and principle. The gale lasts for days. Hiller and Livesey are increasingly attracted to one another and Hiller prays to get to Kilgoren and her fiancé so she doesn't fall for the wrong man.Meanwhile they enjoy all the amiability and hospitality of the little village. Three pipers -- count 'em, three -- have been imported from the mainland for a Ceilidh celebrating the 60th wedding anniversary of the old Campbell couple. It's a touching moment when the elderly husband is asked to say a few words between jigs and drams, stands up, croaks a bit, shrugs, and gives up, to great applause.In a way, this is a city versus country movie. There are a lot of them about. Murnau's "Sunrise" may have been one of the earlier examples. The materialistic and driven person comes from the city -- here, it's Manchester -- and discovers the real meaning of life among the happy peasants, given to eating, drinking, singing, and whistling while they work, at ease with themselves and with nature. More sophisticated examples put a blemish or two on peasant life, like "The Quiet Man" and "Zorba the Greek." At any rate, Hiller insists on being taken by boat to Kilgoran despite the turbulent sea and there's considerable adventure in their attempt. The attempt, though, fails, as it must, if Hiller and Livesey are to be together at the end.An altogether pleasant, if minor, viewing experience. No breakthroughs. Nothing more than a fairy tale, but nicely done.