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Black Narcissus (1947)
Directed by Michael Powell
Stars: Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar, Sabu
I watched Black Narcissus for the first time recently, having heard it is one of the Best Movies Ever. Hm. I dunno. I don't do well with melodrama, and this has it in spades. That being said, it's still a very good film, with plenty of good points.
First and foremost is Jack Cardiff's brilliant cinematography. His use of color and light is simply astounding. This is, IMHO, far and away the best aspect of the film. I may put it back on my Netflix queue for that alone.
The performances are all good, with Deborah Kerr giving a solid performance as Sister Cladagh, the leader of the nuns. The standout performance in my mind, though, came from Kathleen Byron as Sister Ruth, who gradually descends into madness.
The story revolves around a group of Anglican nuns sent from their home in Calcutta to establish a church and school in a remote village in the Himalayas. Ironically, the building they are given by the local ruler ("The General") for their sanctuary was once the residence of his concubines, and now deserted.
The central point of the movie seems to be that these nuns, used to a cloistered existence, find the world, and worldliness, intruding on them as they live in this remote outpost in the Himalayas. Sister Cladagh finds her mind turning to the memories of her life before she entered the service of God, and also finds herself being more and more strongly attracted to Mr. Dean, their laiaison with The General, all-around handyman, and the man Sister Ruth, in her madness, has become obsessed with. And Sister Philippa (I think), the gardener among them, finds herself planting ornamental flowers in the convent garden instead of vegetables, as planned. I wish the movie had explored the reasons for these changes a little more, although perhaps the filmmakers intended that to be ambiguous and leave it up to the audience to consider the whys and wherefores.
As I said, the movie is strong in the melodramatic department, which detracted from my enjoyment and appreciation, but there were some very strong scenes as well, and some things to consider. One of my favorite parts is when Sister Cladagh is troubled by the presence of the local holy man on the convent ground, and wishes to expel him. This is a man who just sits without speaking and apparently without sleeping, day in and day out. Why does the Sister feel so strongly about him? Is it because the local people venrate him rather than the Christian God, or is it because he leads the ascetic existence that she is unable to find? When she makes her feelings about removing him known to Mr. Dean, he simply replies: "What would Jesus have done?" That's the end of the argument.
As I said at the beginning, my first impression of this film was not the best. But as time has passed, I find my thoughts returning to it again and again. This is one of the few movies that has risen in my estimation the more I think about it.
Recommended
Black Narcissus (1947)
Directed by Michael Powell
Stars: Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar, Sabu
I watched Black Narcissus for the first time recently, having heard it is one of the Best Movies Ever. Hm. I dunno. I don't do well with melodrama, and this has it in spades. That being said, it's still a very good film, with plenty of good points.
First and foremost is Jack Cardiff's brilliant cinematography. His use of color and light is simply astounding. This is, IMHO, far and away the best aspect of the film. I may put it back on my Netflix queue for that alone.
The performances are all good, with Deborah Kerr giving a solid performance as Sister Cladagh, the leader of the nuns. The standout performance in my mind, though, came from Kathleen Byron as Sister Ruth, who gradually descends into madness.
The story revolves around a group of Anglican nuns sent from their home in Calcutta to establish a church and school in a remote village in the Himalayas. Ironically, the building they are given by the local ruler ("The General") for their sanctuary was once the residence of his concubines, and now deserted.
The central point of the movie seems to be that these nuns, used to a cloistered existence, find the world, and worldliness, intruding on them as they live in this remote outpost in the Himalayas. Sister Cladagh finds her mind turning to the memories of her life before she entered the service of God, and also finds herself being more and more strongly attracted to Mr. Dean, their laiaison with The General, all-around handyman, and the man Sister Ruth, in her madness, has become obsessed with. And Sister Philippa (I think), the gardener among them, finds herself planting ornamental flowers in the convent garden instead of vegetables, as planned. I wish the movie had explored the reasons for these changes a little more, although perhaps the filmmakers intended that to be ambiguous and leave it up to the audience to consider the whys and wherefores.
As I said, the movie is strong in the melodramatic department, which detracted from my enjoyment and appreciation, but there were some very strong scenes as well, and some things to consider. One of my favorite parts is when Sister Cladagh is troubled by the presence of the local holy man on the convent ground, and wishes to expel him. This is a man who just sits without speaking and apparently without sleeping, day in and day out. Why does the Sister feel so strongly about him? Is it because the local people venrate him rather than the Christian God, or is it because he leads the ascetic existence that she is unable to find? When she makes her feelings about removing him known to Mr. Dean, he simply replies: "What would Jesus have done?" That's the end of the argument.
As I said at the beginning, my first impression of this film was not the best. But as time has passed, I find my thoughts returning to it again and again. This is one of the few movies that has risen in my estimation the more I think about it.
Recommended