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| Waiting for the show to start |
My wife and I had come here to experience a James Herriot
connection. Ritz Cinema was the site of
James and Helen’s second date. Although
it turned out to be more disastrous than their first, the evening gave the
couple what James had sought: a new beginning.
In visiting a place that had proven an important stepping-stone in James
and Helen’s relationship, we hoped for a more enjoyable experience than theirs.
Fifteen minutes before the movie was due to start, the
curtain rolled up, and the projector rolled out a series of TV-style
commercials. Even though the screen was
smaller than what we were used to in the modern multiplexes, the picture was
sharp and bright. Herriot records that
the sound system blared that evening as if it had been designed for the Royal Albert Hall,
and they cowered under its assault. To
us, the sound seemed better attuned to the size of the cinema than what we’re
used to back home. Nor did we have to
wade through twenty minutes of movie trailers after the scheduled
start-time. Instead, we saw one preview
for “The Avengers,” and if memory serves, that occurred immediately before
7:30, when the movie was due to start.
On that evening so long ago, James had looked forward to
watching a movie about the Hebrides, an archepalago of the coast of James' homeland of Scotland. Instead, after the Gaumont News, they had
watched the main film first, one he describes as a tender love story. Then, after the intermission, the screen lit
up with a western he called “Arizona Guns.”
Helen takes this in stride, mentioning that the staff often played a
different movie from that promised, “but no one seems to mind.” Yet this irritates James, and he simmers as
“the ancient horse opera crackles out its cliché-ridden message.”
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| Ritz Cinema: the perfect place to purchase your next automobile |
Tonight, Ritz Cinema offered only one movie. I suppose “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” could
be described as a tender love story. We
view events through two characters: Fred, played by Ewan McGregor (who
played Obi-Wan in the Star Wars prequels) and Harriet, played by Emily Blunt
(who, sadly, didn’t play a part in the Star Wars movies. She played Miss Piggy’s secretary in
the recent Muppet movie though, so perhaps that’s some consolation). As the story unfolds, the experiences Fred
and Harriet share gradually draw them together. The rich Sheikh Muhammad seeks to achieve the
unthinkable: to bring salmon to his desert country. Aided by Harriet, and employing a blend of
research and optimism, he slowly convinces Fred to stop limiting his horizons
by grounding every decision of his life on proven facts.
Back home, I know audiences would have missed much of
the humor. Each country has its own
cultural outlook. Those unfamiliar with that of another nation may appreciate the broad strokes, but miss the subtleties. Certainly our years of learning about England,
and familiarizing ourselves with its entertainment, added to our appreciation
for the movie. It was a pleasure to join
in laughter with the locals, instead of numbering among the few in an American
cinema who caught the story’s nuances.
I had my doubts about “Salmon Fishing in Yemen.” Reviews back home had been distinctly
luke-warm (Not a Star Wars pun…well, maybe just a little one). Yet the unassuming movie sucked me
in more than many of the budget-busting productions Hollywood rolls out each
summer. The main characters pursued not
merely a quest, but a fantastic dream, and most saw their goals as
impossible. Despite its title, much of
the story takes place in England. The
poster had crowned the movie as the best British comedy of the year. While I cannot comment on such a claim, I can
say that we found it immensely satisfying.
Oh, and by the way, a small but important part of the movie
takes place in the Scottish Highlands. James
Herriot would have been thrilled.
Enjoying our movie,
Dragon Dave
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