A Portrait of Scotland (2009)

 

You can tell we’re nearing the end of my PC stores –lately, we’ve been getting documentaries without much acting and radio programs with only voice work.  A Portrait of Scotland is a TV documentary, like “Who’s Afraid of Machiavelli?” but PC has the role of presenter instead of reader, complete with picturesque walk-and-talk narration and participants to interview.

 

PC takes us on a tour of Scottish art, particularly its rich history of portraiture.  He discusses works classic and contemporary, painted in myriad styles for a variety of purposes.  He meets curators and artists, and he tries to connect with and sketch the subjects of the paintings – from wealthy monarchs to cherished lovers to incidental peasants.  It’s an interesting documentary that pulls in a lot of things that have influenced Scottish art over the years (religion, philosophy, science, poetry, history, even tourist fads,) and it’s still accessible for a novice like myself.

 

I’m always interested in the dynamic between England and other lands within the U.K., and that’s touched on here.  Lines are drawn between English painters working in Scotland, Scottish painters popular in England, and Scottish painters popular in Scotland.  As PC gets to the Victorian period and beyond, these divisions become especially important; each group sees Scotland and its people in different ways and has different aims in mind when painting them.

 

Overall, PC takes nicely to his presenter duties.  His narration is well delivered, and he skillfully draws out the people he’s interviewing.  In the interview sequences, it’s hard to know how much he’s been instructed/guided, but it certainly looks natural, and he seems to ask excellent questions.  Most important, though, is his obvious enthusiasm.  He pores over the paintings, gushes over the living artists, and generally geeks out over little details – there’s a fantastic scene of his delighted reaction to seeing the actual jacket worn by an earl in a 250-year-old portrait.

 

It seems so much of what PC loves can be found in his career.  The former art-school student presented documentary about art (and sketched throughout,) along with playing artists in The Shadow of the Noose and Modigliani.  The former punk-band front man played a famous rock star in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries and has played several other characters that dabble in music.  And of course, we know how things have turned out for this lifelong Whovian – not too shabby.

 

Accent Watch

 

Scottish, obviously.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – Maybe, if you’re into art history.  I found it interesting.

 

PC-wise – For major fan of the man himself, I’d say yes.  Not necessarily for everyone.

 

Warnings

 

Naw, it’s clean.