In this instance, David Shields (Gordon Jackson) wishes to leave the farm that he lives on with his father and head for the shipyards of Glasgow and earn his keep as a shipbuilder. David has a flair for the designing of these huge structures and after attending night schools, he grabs the attention of the boss, Anstruther (played by Jack Lambert) who decides to send him to a technical college, where he passes in style.
Added to the mix, is David's growing affection for Anstruther's daughter, Mary (Rona Anderson) a woman of privilege who wants David to forget his down at heel roots and leave behind his good friend, Tim Brogan (James Logan) who shows David who to let his hair down. One amazing sequence is when David and Tim go out on the town to a dancehall, and you see a scrum of people you think fleeing the scene of a major accident when in actuality they are dancing in perfect choreography to the show band playing on the stage. Like the films great location camerawork, this scene is shows you something that is definitely of its time but also the swell of community spirit that occured in Scotland during the post World War 2 years.
David's panache and willingness to stand out from the crowd can mark him as a cinematic forerunner of Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness in The Man in the White Suit) and Arthur Seaton (Albert Finney in Saturday Night, Sunday Morning); two other aspirational young men who had ideas above their station and come into trouble for doing so.
Whilst the former may well be in the same satirical vein of most Ealing Studios production, David certainly appears closer to Arthur and his 'angry young men' contemporaries played with relish by Tom Courtenary and Richard Harris, that helped make their distinguished careers.
Shot on location in the streets of Glasgow and Clydeside featuring sweeping magasterial shots of the historic shipyards. but of cultural significance and historical merit as these shipyards are now not used and lie dormant in this modern age.
Acted with great skill by the consumate cast, which includes the Dad's Army veteran John Laurie, this fine film released on DVD for the first time is not just a time capsule to a forgotten world, but a different way of life. The film concludes on a heath with a romantic clinch which marks it as an equal to The Brothers in terms of melodrama, but on this instance the melodrama takes a back seat to depict a young man with aspiration and the thrilling ride to succeed.
Released on 20th June, Floodtide is available for the first time on DVD from Park Circus films (http://www.parkcircus.com/) for £15.99RRP, with extras consisting of an image gallery.
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