tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post8029024643393417164..comments2023-11-24T07:20:02.991-05:00Comments on Classic Movies Digest: Black Narcissus: Technicolor MasterpieceRuperthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15526556689348727001noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-72885034278859180042015-12-22T21:17:09.709-05:002015-12-22T21:17:09.709-05:00Terrific review. Bryon is amazing in the office sc...Terrific review. Bryon is amazing in the office scene. One moment she's begging to go, the next; she's an animal...and takes that further stil when Kerr shows her strength...then Bryon is an unsure animal. Great. Greatness in any endeavor takes courage Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05033117202223821117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-25783333560193576472013-06-24T22:57:35.642-04:002013-06-24T22:57:35.642-04:00I could not agree more! Seeing this film for the f...I could not agree more! Seeing this film for the first time was a revelation! It introduced me to The Archers. <br /><br />The sumptuous use of colour is breathtaking.....the flowers and prisms of water droplets are more palpably sexual than anything I ever saw in porn! <br /><br />I think the principal reason those scenes were banned is because a Catholic Nun is basically admitting to having lost her virginity; ".....and since I had SHOWN my love!"<br /><br />One can only imagine the feelings of having a peak artistic experience anyone involved in making this movie must have felt!<br /><br />Thanks for the article, Sir!!<br /><br />MiCanuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03543805900174999478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-13756682262339268482010-01-23T19:43:56.217-05:002010-01-23T19:43:56.217-05:00Wonderful riview, Rupert!
I had the chance to watc...Wonderful riview, Rupert!<br />I had the chance to watch only a few final scenes recently, but that's enough to realize that this was a very powerful film in all respects.<br />By the way, I think Black Narcissus actually was a Lanvin perfume in the 50's.<br />AttilioAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-51620807375785653842010-01-23T19:14:56.275-05:002010-01-23T19:14:56.275-05:00Love your posts , as always this one is wonderful ...Love your posts , as always this one is wonderful to read.Conniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11310523423143719934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-14886206897657210922009-11-28T12:11:34.994-05:002009-11-28T12:11:34.994-05:00Well done. I have always had a great fondness of ...Well done. I have always had a great fondness of Powell and Pressberger films. They have a quality all of their own which seems unlike anything out of Hollywood. And the acting in their films is always first rate.<br />Richard MunroAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-25352873036634490072009-11-02T22:41:11.151-05:002009-11-02T22:41:11.151-05:00Another well written post Rupert. Thanks for shari...Another well written post Rupert. Thanks for sharing.montyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357464302627055092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-34466080937128091902009-08-23T16:53:13.225-04:002009-08-23T16:53:13.225-04:00Excellent Review,Rupert!thank you so much for cove...Excellent Review,Rupert!thank you so much for covering this film.Truly,one Pressberger & Powell's best,(along with my personal favorite A Matter of Life and Death). Naturally,and foremost,among the many elements of this film,is the Breathtaking Cinematography of Jack Cardiff.So striking at first glance,it threatens to distract the viewer from the impending storyline. A visual Masterpiece, to compliment a strong cast,intriguing plot,and brilliant performances.<br /> I especially look forward to what <br />Kathryn Byron brings to these films. Is it any wonder,she would become a return favorite for Pressberger & Powell's films, along with Roger Livesey.(Who,By the way, I could listen to read the phonebook,and love it). David Farrar,is very easy on the eyes, and presents a striking to figure the nuns of the convent. A viral distraction to their mission,and moral ideals.<br />And the Criterion restoration gives the royal treatment,with a beautiful restoration. not that it needed much help to begin with. but Defintely,a plus nonetheless.Ernie Onoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-69659540042975443952009-06-25T18:45:19.972-04:002009-06-25T18:45:19.972-04:00a VERY good blog and review
well writtena VERY good blog and review<br />well writtenJohn Going Gentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14958171262765033946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-80620410297293235182009-06-25T17:27:34.477-04:002009-06-25T17:27:34.477-04:00Rupert, a very nicely written post on a great film...Rupert, a very nicely written post on a great film by one of the greatest directors of all time. (I've written posts on four of Powell's films myself.) When I saw this one on TCM a year or so ago, Robert Osborne mentioned that an executive of the Technicolor Corporation picked this movie as the greatest use of Technicolor on film. I liked the way you wrote about the flashbacks to Kerr's life before becoming a nun. That part was completely different in all ways from the rest of the movie and a total surprise to me. Few directors but Powell could have so successfully achieved such a complete change of tone. Kerr got a well-deserved N.Y. Film Critics Award for best actress for this movie (also two others she made that year, but certainly largely for "Black Narcissus"). She was a great actress, and this is my favorite performance by her after "The Innocents." Most reviews of this movie don't mention those enigmatic scenes of the ancient Indian guru just who is shown every once in a while, just sitting in those majestic mountains meditating like a timeless, otherworldly observer watching with detachment while these people play their little games and take it all so seriously. Otherwise he has no involvement in the plot. It adds a mystical element to the movie that I find most interesting and suggests how out of place the nuns are here.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-68555781744687425252009-06-25T11:42:29.986-04:002009-06-25T11:42:29.986-04:00Beautiful post, thank you very much for this. Blac...Beautiful post, thank you very much for this. Black Narcissus is, in my opinion, Powell and Pressburger's best (yes, even moreso than The Red Shoes) and you've certainly done this exquisite film justice. Cardiff's work is definitely a "visual feast" in every possible way!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-8208964073189529212009-06-24T16:30:01.798-04:002009-06-24T16:30:01.798-04:00Thank you, Rupert!
You KNOW this is one of my abs...Thank you, Rupert!<br /><br />You KNOW this is one of my absolute favorite films. I had actively avoided it for years for the very reasons you enumerate at the top. Nuns? The Himalayas? I thought it was going to be like Bells of Saint Mary's in the Peshwar. Not even close!<br /><br />I could not agree more with your assessment; technicolor is like another character or - at the very least - an amplifier that telegraphs the characters' emotional status (Red for Ruth, Green for Clodagh). And Kathleen Byron is the most beautiful and convincing monster in any film from this decade.<br /><br />Kathleen never got bigger parts - if you want to see her in another Archers production, rent "The Small Back Room" about wartime bomb disposal, also with David Farrar - both are totally different than in Narcissus. She has worked constantly since then - but never got a part this meaty again. Powell understood her (they were lovers during this period on a side note), but no one else gave her quite the chances she deserved. She has a small cameo as Private Ryan's wife in Spielberg's film from a few years ago - what a pleasant surprise to see the over 80-year-old tearing into a part. :)<br /><br />Thanks again, Rupert - lovely piece.John Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12440401101082154726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-18221443040204388242009-06-24T00:07:05.756-04:002009-06-24T00:07:05.756-04:00It is a beautiful film from the period when Powell...It is a beautiful film from the period when Powell and Pressburge ruled the cinema. The way they transform Kathleen Byron into an almost supernatural force of malevolence is amazing. The visuals are so astounding that the music often doesn't get the credit it's due. Rupert, thanks for spreading the word.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-40746700156110790602009-06-23T22:23:03.669-04:002009-06-23T22:23:03.669-04:00Excellent review. This is one that I have to admi...Excellent review. This is one that I have to admit I have not yet seen, but with my Year's Best Countdown, it's one that I have on the way so that I can make sure I've seen it before I make a selection for 1947 (although if it tops my current choice for 1947, it'll be among the best 4-5 films I've ever seen!). This was a great read that definitely made me look forward to see the movie.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-69491829024886665282009-06-23T19:57:27.282-04:002009-06-23T19:57:27.282-04:00Beautiful to look at and beautifully acted. A litt...Beautiful to look at and beautifully acted. A little slow, but Jean Simmons and Deborah Kerr make it worthwhile. And one of the best early prints to enjoy from British film makers....Davidhttp://www.dpriol.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-53346508223547471042009-06-23T19:45:15.842-04:002009-06-23T19:45:15.842-04:00Once again you've brought enlightment to the t...Once again you've brought enlightment to the teeming masses of moviegoers who have skipped over this classic. You described it so tantalizingly well without ruining the many nuggets inside. It shows that a movie can be ahead of its time and never go out of style.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-37442206290377307832009-06-23T19:25:37.365-04:002009-06-23T19:25:37.365-04:00I have passed this several times at the library. I...I have passed this several times at the library. I will definitely pick this up the next time and watch it!Lesley Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16616133721270536327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-91994011386845709872009-06-23T19:11:41.989-04:002009-06-23T19:11:41.989-04:00I was a bit shock by this movie when I saw it but ...I was a bit shock by this movie when I saw it but now I can't remember which part that shocked me, when I saw it, I thought the colors were so vivid and has so much contrast, strangely enough I don't recall Kerr playing the nun at all, guess I didn't know her then, I'll probably try to see this againlissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00706027242022517570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-84493713426627307672009-06-23T17:47:31.791-04:002009-06-23T17:47:31.791-04:00wow ok Rupert. I have heard of this film but no on...wow ok Rupert. I have heard of this film but no one really said much about it until someone the other day on tcm.com picked it as one of their movies that no one as ever heard of but you must watch. They didn't say anything about the movie though and now you write this. Oh my. I have to see this film. The colors jump at you and their feelings are in full focus how you describe the movie and the acting. I am ready to see this one and I am sure I won't be disappointed.ClassicJohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18084603957211826254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-5389393235620215032009-06-23T17:33:40.401-04:002009-06-23T17:33:40.401-04:00Loved this filmLoved this filmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-833161426229360042.post-21562354483402778552009-06-23T17:26:24.015-04:002009-06-23T17:26:24.015-04:00With an opening paragraph like that, you've go...With an opening paragraph like that, you've got me hooked (yet again), Rupert. Will definitely have to check this one out. (How could I have missed!!??)Mark David Gersonhttp://markdavidmuse.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com