Year: 1947
Director(s): Powell & Pressburger
Country: UK
Language: English
Made in a studio while the world was still recovering from the exhaustion of World War Two Powell and Pressburger's masterpiece Black Narcissus, based on a 1939 novel by Rumer Godden, looked as far from the gray, postwar London as possible. The British duo filled the screen with high mountains, lush forests and blooming flowers. Powell himself called this the "most erotic film I had ever made." At first a picture primarily about the sexual lives of nuns seems ludicrous, but I found myself deeply moved by the images on screen.
After opening a convent in the Himalayas, five nuns, one played by the great Deborah Kerr, encounter conflict and tension - both with the natives and also within their own group - as they attempt to adapt to their remote, exotic surroundings.
Black Narcissus is a picture you ought to watch over and over again, mainly because there are a tremendous amount of layers. The use of color is extraordinary; at the beginning we are treated to vibrant over-the-top colors, then as the sisters slowly go mad the color changes subtly to fit the mood until we are shrouded in darkness. When Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) finally puts on her seductive red lipstick we are fully aware that doom is near. Powell's incredible use of music increases the dramatic tension, making Black Narcisuss as suspenseful as any Hitchcock film I've ever seen.
Powell and Pressburger observe the culture clashes between the willful nuns and the observant Indians without dismissing either point of view. I greatly appreciate that it is not preachy, nor does it attempt to justify colonialism. The cinematography is among the best in Motion Picture history. It actually looks like the nuns are on a mountain, when in reality the actors are being shot in a studio with mat background paintings. The acting, especially by Byron and Kerr, is superb.
In conclusion, Black Narcissus is easily one of the best films ever made. I am thoroughly impressed with the duo's innovative film-making techniques, and in awe of its rich exotic tapestry. Film critic Dave Kehr suggests that Black Narcissus should be taken with the historical context of Britain bidding farewell to their fading empire. One can view it with many lenses. Praise it! 5/5
Powell and Pressburger never made a less-than-good ever. Have you see The Red Shoes or Stairway To Heaven a.k.a. A Matter Of Life And Death? I agree Black Narcissus is their best work, but I'd hate to live on the margin of difference among their top three
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