If you can't beat them ...

An interesting undercurrent of tension in the film is how the prospect of selling off the beach to the US oil company polarises the population of Ferness. In this, thematically it reminds me a little of Rockets Galore in which the inhabitants of a small Scottish island are divided over the possibility of their tranquil little backwater becoming a Cold War missile base. But that's where the similarity ends, Local Hero is an infinitely greater movie than the lacklustre 1958 sequel (of sorts) to Whisky Galore. Ben the old hermit is "the fly in the ointment" as far as the oil corp's plans go, establishing his ownership of the site & his abhorrence to the idea of destroying the natural beauty of the remote village. The company representative Mac sees the light & sides with those want to preserve the pristine location, & Happer (the oil tycoon) sees the lights, ie the Northern Lights of the Aurora Borealis to be precise, which he is much more interested in than in the oil! It a win-win situation, the corp decides to drill off-shore & the idyllic beauty of the village is spared. Great little gem of a film by Bill Forsyth, with the added musical bonus of a great atmospheric film score from Mark Kropfler.