The Salt Path (2024)

Whatever (or maybe because of) the intriguing back story, The Salt Path drew in a great turnout. Johnny the dog helped the attendance move tantalisingly close to 100 on our 250^th film weekend.

Marianne Elliott’s 2024 film, based on Raynor Winn’s memoir of walking the South West Coastal path, was much anticipated. Some of us in the discussion group knew about the recent controversy over the truth of its story, others were interested in hearing about The Observer’s revelations. Were the Winns truly homeless, for example?

We admired the beautiful, rugged landscapes in the film and particularly the wide shots of the sky, symbolising freedom. Some of us would have liked to have known exactly where we were on the couple’s walk, rather than just knowing how many miles in. The emotional theme of a life-changing journey chimed with several of us.

Should knowing the reality of the story impact on our response to the film? Some of us felt that a few sentences could be added on the end titles about the truth claims, but it was too late for that.  One member of the group did feel angry and let down, saying that the Winn’s journey as shown was “deceitful.”  The 1991 film ‘Not Without My Daughter’ was alluded to regarding controversy about representing the truth.

We did feel that our responses would have been different if the film had been described as ‘based on reality.’  The idea of the Winns being homeless upset some of us, as we compared them to real desperate people who live on the street, who have nothing. The word ‘faction’ was mentioned to show the mix of fact and fiction.

Other criticisms were that we would have appreciated more humour, as on a journey like this, funny moments can be uplifting. We enjoyed it when Moth is mistakenly taken by a rich family to be Simon Armitage. The couple are welcomed into their splendid home as VIP guests until the truth is revealed.

The scenes on the mountain with other walkers were perhaps some of the best moments. We got a glimpse into the hierarchy of walkers, some sporting fancy outdoor gear. You expect that quirkiness with this type of British film.

Of course, we couldn’t fault Jason Isaac’s and Gillian Anderson’s performances. I had some thoughts about the representation of disability and Moth’s vulnerability being highlighted – why wasn’t he using a stick or a branch to help him walk?

Angela Harding’s print for the cover of The Salt Path was appreciated.  Here’s to the next 250 films and to our much-loved community cinema which brings us all together to enjoy film, friendship and in this case, sumptuous scones.

Anne