Black Narcissus - Criterion Collection | Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson

Black Narcissus - Criterion Collection | Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson | pretty darned good

DVDs:

Black Narcissus - ...

	Black Narcissus - Criterion Collection Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson Criterion, 2001 average customer review:based on 74 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Plagued by uncertainties and worldly desires, five Protestant missionary nuns, led by Deborah Kerr's Sister Clodagh, struggle to establish a school in the desolate Himalayas. All the elements of cinematic arts are perfectly fused in Powell and Pressburger's fascinating study of the age-old conflict between the spirit and the flesh, set against the grandeur of the snowcapped peaks of Kanchenjunga. Criterion is proud to present Black Narcissus in a new Special Edition.

Example of the all the best in filmmaking

The Oscar-winning 1947 story of a group of 5 nuns establishing a school/hospital mission at an ancient remote Himalayan palace . . . a former harem. They are to serve the village in the valley far below. Remarkably, this was all shot in a London studio - not the windswept mountainside that the viewer seems to be looking at.

The nuns seem to all be having serious misgivings regarding their vocation, and the pull of their former lives. There is arising sexual tension (usually masterfully subtle) between the sisters and the king's male liaison. Beautiful Deborah Kerr somehow manages to pull off playing the role of a rather severe but compassionate, young and fast-rising Sister Superior, at all times decorous, yet frequently oozing sensuality. She is always in full habit, with just partial face exposed. Superb performance. The viewer is left with gray areas to guess at regarding real intentions of the various players. Kudos to director Michael Powell.

An interesting mix of background characters - the quirky old crone caretaker, the golden hearted young king (a student), hormone gushing Jean Simmons (another student), the dark-hearted "evil" nun. All the while, the REAL background player is the location . . . the wind blown high mountain and surreal convent building, and the beating drums at night. All in beautiful technicolor with the score performed by the London Symphony. Despite the sensual overtones, there is no reason a child couldn't watch this.

A thoughtful study of the struggle between the spirit and the flesh. Are the sisters successful at establishing their mission on the mountain? I won't ruin it for you. A wonderful, wonderful piece of filmmaking.

for more information click here

pretty darned good

Yeah it's all that. When I started viewing it, I was a bit uncertain. Nuns in the Himalayas? OOO baby. But the nuns are stationed in an old brothel and let the fun begin. The locale has its effect on the ladies who start to question their faith and their purpose. Sister Ruth goes off her rails in a truly scary way. In a de rigeur red dress. The acting is excellent all around, and the cinematography is amazing. I really could not believe that it was all shot in a studio! Quite remarkable. David Farrar is new to me and what a man! I am surprised that he is not well known because he is a good actor and a handsome dude. Recommended.

for more information click here

Simmering repressed emotions as painted with colour

Powell and Pressburger in the 40's were a sure fire guarantee of cinema that was imaginative, innovative and involving - and this was one of the pinnacles of their career.
On the surface another British melodrama, this was made into much more, using the relatively new and cumbersome Technicolor process for heretofore unimagined uses. While America was using colour as a way of making musicals and location work bigger and more exciting, Powell and Pressburger were finding ways of using it as a way of expressing the internal - emotions as colour.
In this movie, we have Deborah Kerr as a nun who has been sent as Mother Superior to a palace (and former harem) in India in the shadow of the Himalayas to make of it a school and dispensary. However the location and its otherworldliness begin to gnaw at the nuns in different ways, digging up old forgotten memories of their previous lives, and forcing one all the way to madness. The presence of the Englishman who is their only source of help, only adds to a simmering atmosphere of repressed emotion which threatens to burst out as time progresses.
As a melodrama this might seem a little dated by modern viewers eyes, however as an expression of the dichotomy between our human nature and the nature of religion (in this case Christianity) this is a fascinating and timeless piece - and as a piece of cinema, this will stay with you for a very long time, with its stunning expressionist style and startling colours. One moment, when a nun drive made appears in a doorway with murderous thoughts in mind, is more chilling than anything I have seen in a long time, all captured in one look through fantastic lighting. The achievements in creating such a vivid and authentic atmosphere are all the more amazing considering it was all shot in Pinewood studios.
Jack Hawkins won an Oscar for his photography, and the extra documentary on his pioneering use of Technicolor shows how he was guided by an admiration not for the technical side but for the artistry, quoting Vermeer, Van Gogh and Rembrandt as influences in his technique. Fascinating. The feature on the film itself necessarily covers some of the same ground, but is also worth watching.
Whether you simply enjoy a good melodrama, or are a student of cinema as art, or just like to keep up with movies Scorcese recommends, this is worth watching. Despite its age, *****.

for more information click here

A stunning visual feast heavy with symbolic meaning

Above all, this is beautifully shot picture where every frame is carefully composed ... and the results are nothing short of amazing. Usually, technicolour films tend to come off as oversaturated and garish, but the colour here is carefully controlled to great effect. Every shot is mesmerizing and leaden with symbolic meaning. Ultimately, this film is about spiritual ideals versus the reality of the natural world; which, by comparison, is never so tidy.
Every scene reinforces the idea that both religious faith and obsessive romantic love are both similar forms of madness which play out their inextricable dance against the impassive backdrop of the natural world.

This is a film whose eternal themes are backed by classical images charged with subtext - an enchantingly sophisticated and literate work of art pulled off with great subtlety.

for more information click here

"Everything is exaggerated"

"Black Narcissus" was Michael Powell's ambitious 1946 work set in the Himalayas... but filmed entirely on a soundstage. It's an impressive cinematic achievement, before the days of CIG and Industrial Light&Magic. "Black Narcissus" is the story of a group of Anglican nuns in India trying to deal with each other,as well as their own desires. Their convent is housed in a former harem,"The Women's Palace",living their vow of chastity surrounded by erotic Tantric murals.

Deborah Kerr is splendid as strong-willed Sr. Clodagh,who left Ireland in humiliation after her fiance abandoned her. She is brilliant as a stubborn nun trying to keep the world in order as it falls to pieces around her. David Farrar stars as Mr. Dean, who's Austin Powers-like in his vulgarity&frequent hairy chest-baring. Despite the fact he's homely& has a woolly chest,he becomes an obscure object of desire for the repressed,bitter&slightly paranoid Sr. Ruth (Kathleen Byron)

In the meantime, the General (former child star Sabu) comes to the Servants of Mary for an education. He asks Sr. Clodagh that the "mathematics be taught by the mathematical sister,French&Russian taught by the French&Russian sister,and physics by the physical sister." The last phrase visibly discomfits Sr. Clodagh. He also wants to become Christian. She tells him that Jesus "came in the shape of a man",showing not only is she repressed&has issues,but she's a closet Gnostic. To make matters worse, the General's Black Narcissus cologne inflames the repressed nuns. The village harlot,Kanchi (Jean Simmons),meanwhile,dances around a lot with shiny bling in her nostrils&ears. She shimmies her way into the General's heart.

The Sr. Clodagh/ Sr. Ruth/ Mr. Dean love triangle comes to a shattering climax in many ways... and it involves Sr. Ruth wearing red&maniacally putting on red lipstick. The ending is memorable.

"Black Narcissus" is a visual masterpiece;Kerr's acting stands out. It's lush. To quote Mr. Dean, "everything is exaggerated." It's bright,beautiful,and campy. It's the Servants of Melodrama,not the Servants of Mary. Campy,overwrought&visually sensual,"Black Narcissus" is a masterpiece in its own riveting, over-the-top way.

In "Black Narcissus",

for more information click here