I occurred to get up in the midst of the evening final week and turned on Turner Film Classics (TCM). Taking part in on the time was the 1954 film Brigadoon. I’d heard about it however by no means seen it. It’s about 2 guys on a looking journey to Scotland who uncover a spot in mid-18th century Scotland wherein individuals stay as if it’s the mid-18th century. However it exists within the mid twentieth century. One of many characters, performed by Gene Kelly, falls in love with one of many residents of the city, Brigadoon. She’s a stunning lady performed by Cyd Charisse.
I do know it’s fantasy within the apparent sense. However there’s one other sense wherein it’s fantasy, a way identified to anybody who is aware of a lot in regards to the final 3 centuries of financial historical past.
I caught solely the final 20 minutes however in that point, we see Cyd Charisse wearing a stupendous gown and looking out stunning as if she’s out of a 1950 challenge of Vogue.
See the issue?
If the village actually had been mid-18th century, she wouldn’t seem like that. She wouldn’t have stunning clothes and he or she would most likely have rotten enamel, simply to call two.
I as soon as needed to write down one thing for a assume tank wherein I gave prominence to the “hockey stick,” the graph that reveals GDP per capita within the trendy world from 1000 A.D. to right now. The individual on the assume tank advised me that the overwhelming majority of their readers know in regards to the hockey stick. My guess is that there’s not less than a large minority that doesn’t.
Go forward and have your fantasy about Brigadoon, however understand that in case you had been the character performed by Gene Kelly, the precise Brigadoon wouldn’t be engaging and also you nearly definitely wouldn’t be drawn to the lady he fell in love with.
Right here’s Don Boudreaux laying it out in additional element in a 5-minute video.
The pic above is of Cyd Charisse.
