Genre: Drama Directors: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Writers: Rumer Godden (novel); Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (screenplay)
Producers: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Cast: Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson, Jean Simmons, David Farrar, Sabu, Esmond Knight, Kathleen Byron, Jenny Laird, Jenny Laird, Judith Furse, May Hallatt, Shaun Noble, Eddie Whaley Jr., Nancy Roberts, Ley On
Music: Brian Easdale
Cinematography: Jack Cardiff
Editing: Reginald Mills
Distribution: General Film Distributors
Release Date: May 26, 1947
Running Time: 100 min
Rising out of the ashes of WWII, Britain experienced a flourishing of creativity within its film industry. Filmmakers like David Lean and Carol Reed were spearheading this renaissance with visually invigorating and daring films. However it is the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, known as The Archers, who were responsible for the most creative and daring films of the period. Always working just to the left of mainstream, Powell and Pressburger created a body of work that consisted of highly stylized offbeat melodramas such as The Red Shoes and A Matter of Life and Death that continue to be discovered and cherished by cineastes worldwide. Perhaps their most well known work though is their 1947 Technicolor symphony Black Narcissus, a film which remains as exciting and shocking today as it had been to audiences back in 1947.
Black Narcissus follows a convent of Anglican nuns led by Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) as they try to establish a hospital and school in a remote, old palace in the Himalayas. However the palace does not seem the ideal place to establish a nunnery as it is decorated in erotic art and the villagers are reluctant to accept the nuns. The nuns have a hard time adjusting to the harsh environment around them, and one in particular Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) worries Sister Clodagh, in particular because her attention seems to be straying away from God and towards the handsome, but amoral land agent Mr. Dean (David Farrar). Each nun begins to grapple with repressed memories and desires in some way or another and their convent is slowly torn apart, but these desires, these all to human desires. Powell and Pressburger establish these challenges of the environment early on, not only is the palace not the ideal place to establish a nunnery, but they also face challenges from the villagers who are unable to accept the outsiders coming onto their land. In fact the General of the village (Esmond Knight) has to pay them to visit the hospital the Sisters have set up. However it’s apparent that there is something more insidious tearing apart the convent, the very atmosphere of the environment around them is not kind to those who try to fight it as the Sister’s are trying to do. The Sister’s face a spiritual challenge from the Holy Man who sits atop a hill ever silent to the world around him, and the villagers are more willing to accept the Holy Man than they are the convent. Powell and Pressburger use subtle pieces of symbolism, especially sense stimulated symbolism such as colors, sounds, and smells to create an atmosphere of dishevelment and dread.
Sister Clodagh is perhaps too young to take on the task of leading the convent as she struggles with repressed memories of a lost love. She tries to remain bold in the face of the challenges that await her, but she’s never able to keep things together. Because she was never able to control and overcome her own insecurities that she is unable to lead. It’s the battle of wills between Clodagh and Sister Ruth that is perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of the film. Ruth and Clodagh both suffer from the same problems, but both nuns have a different way of expressing themselves. While Clodagh tries to repress her memories and desires, Sister Ruth announces them to the world, trying to control everyone and everything around her. It becomes apparent that both nuns express desire for Mr. Dean, but neither are able to come to terms with their own humanity in a healthy manner. Mr. Dean is perhaps the most sensible character in the film, he knows that the land is harsh and the Sisters desire him, and he tries to be subversive hoping that he can get the message across, but he fails to do so.
Between all of these events, there are other plot threads that serve to bring about the end of the convent, such as the affair between the Young General (Sabu) and the dancing girl (Jean Simmons) or the eldest nun Sister Philippa’s (growing doubts surrounding her once strong faith. Some viewers may find the melodrama of Black Narcissus to be off-putting, but I believe the melodrama creates a hypnotic atmosphere; it brings the film into the realm of heightened reality to the point of being almost a fever dream. The cinematography by Jack Cardiff only assists in creating these feelings. Every shot in the film is composed like a painting, making bold use of colors and lighting. The use of sharp camera angles and various sound effects create a powerful effect. However there are many small visual touches that go unnoticed, and it’s these subtle touches that elevate Black Narcissus from simple melodrama to Technicolor symphony. It’s hard to believe that not a single piece of the film was shot on location, because The Archers held complete technical control over every aspect of the film. Black Narcissus has a reputation of being one of the best films filmed in Technicolor, and it lives up to that reputation, there’s no doubt that the technical innovations The Archers used here were an influence on filmmakers such as Douglas Sirk and Nicholas Ray who would go onto make their own melodramas in a fashion similar to that of Powell and Pressburger.
The acting in Black Narcissus is as strong as the rest of the film. Deborah Kerr gives an astounding performance as Sister Clodagh, she often acts with her face, even when she’s delivering dialogue. Her scenes with Kathleen Byron as Sister Ruth are especially memorable because Kerr’s acting is much more subdued while Byron allows herself to descend into all out hysteria, and since much of the film is seen through the eyes of Kerr, Byron’s acting creates a powerful effect on the viewer. I thought David Fararr’s performance as Mr. Dean is often undervalued. He’s down to earth, but not without charm, and he interacts well with the other actors. Fararr, like his character, is the lynchpin that keeps the all of the other actors together, because he’s the voice of reason among so many mad people, and he plays the part well. Jean Simmons and Sabu make great turns as the Young General and the dancing girl, and Jean Simmons leaves quite an impression despite having limited dialogue and screen time. The supporting cast rounds out the film pretty well, some are better than others, but no one is bad in anyway.
Black Narcissus remains one of the most transcendent experiences I’ve yet had as a film-goer. The work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger has impressed me just as it has impressed countless other cineastes. For those yet unfamiliar with the work of The Archers, I recommend picking up a copy of Criterion’s restored re-release of Black Narcissus when it hits shelves in June, and prepare to be blown away by the sheer power of this masterpiece of melodrama.
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