Cinematography:
Jack CardiffComposer:
Brian EasdaleCast:
Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson, David Farrar, Sabu, Esmond Knight, Jean Simmons, Kathleen Byron, Judith Furse, Jenny Laird, Margaret Scudamore, May HallattVOD (1)
Plots(1)
Based on a novel by Rumer Godden, Black Narcissus stars Deborah Kerr and Jean Simmons as nuns dedicated to the Indian mission in which they work. Obstacles in the life of a nuns’ community high in the Himalayas range from a cynical British Agent to suspicious natives, and the arduous terrain surrounding them. The mission prospers, but often at the expense of spiritual progress. A sick child dies, a mission pupil elopes and one of the nuns falls to her death after an emotional breakdown. The sisters finally retreat from the mission and the menacing mountains, but with the knowledge that their work has not been devoid of good results. (Beyond Home Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (4)
I have no love for Technicolor. I was intrigued by the theme, but the naive presentation of the Himalayas together with the absurd ending didn't convince me that Deborah Kerr had any meaning for me other than as Anna Leonowens. ;) In addition, making a color film full of pastel colors and not overdoing it has been possible since at least The Garden of Allah (1936). However, I do understand that a big film with the Indian boy Sabu called for a different approach.
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Veiled Deborah Karr as a walking commercial for the whitening power of Persil and pony rider David Farrar in a hat and tropical khaki drill shorts (how could something so tasteless ever have occurred to anybody), painted in Technicolor, on a par with the work of the Dutch Masters. All this in the shape of an exotic melodrama about suppressed desire and holy duties conducted in a former harem. Exactly as expected, precise in Powell-Pressburger style. Well, all apart from the shorts which are prime candidates for the most horrific costume in cinema history.
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I don’t know why, but I had set astronomically high expectations for this film, which it probably could never reach, but it ended up delivering something completely different than what I had hoped. It’s a slow psychological anabasis extremely free from the truly oppressive atmosphere that calls to be set in a remote mountain monastery. The oft-mentioned cinematography of Jack Cardiff is beautiful, of course, and the shot by the bell is one of the best ever made, but that eye-candy didn’t let me get into the surprisingly tender and sad skeleton of a story – what bothered me the most was the static theatrical style and I didn’t feel the suppressed emotions that were supposed to be key. I would certainly love to see it on the big screen in a dark theatre, but for the time being, what prevails is lack of understanding and an ironic smirk at the menacing circus costume of the otherwise charismatic David Farrar. 70%
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Powell and Pressburger were simply film geniuses of their time, and it's almost unbelievable how successful they were together, making so many successful films. There aren't many similar duos today who have the strength to consistently create truly authorial films like they did. It doesn't matter if it's satire, criticism, drama, or a fantasy story - they simply managed to excel at everything. Black Narcissus is a beautiful example of a compassionate yet harsh story with great characters.
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