Produced on a short budget with an all-amateur cast, Peter Walkins' Culloden, a docudrama on the 1764 Battle of Culloden wherein the British Army annihilated the forces of Charles Edward Stuart and put an end to the Scottish Jacobite rising of 1745, is one of the most powerful, horrifying, and gripping historical documentaries that I have ever witnessed. It represents a bold step forward in the development of cinematic historiography: instead of objective analyses and recreations, the film mimics modern TV war reporting from a "man-on-the-streets" perspective. Coming in at just under 70 minutes, Culloden's dense exploration of the men involved in the battle, their backgrounds, their actions, and their fates could have easily filled a documentary twice its length. Watkins' ubiquitous use of hand-held cameras gave the proceedings an energy and urgency that at times was almost painful to withstand. I have to give credit to the BBC for producing a documentary like this one which so readily condemns the actions of their past governments and armed forces. This film shook me to my core. It wouldn't leave my thoughts for days after I watched it.
9/10
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