Black Narcissus

I was looking forward to the 'Black Narcissus' as I consider Deborah Kerr to be a fine actress and Powell and Pressburger important directors, whose 'A Canterbury Tale' is a significant film. I was very disappointed by BN: I found it phony in terms of story line and totally unconvincing in terms of characters. It has a terribly condescending attitude towards the "native" population which is shown in a mumbo-jumbo kind of way, made worse by English actresses playing the roles of Angu Ayah and Kanchi. Farrar's character, wearing shorts, half open shirt and sandals in a convent at 8000 feet, is ridiculous. Kerr's sister Clodagh, whose background and managerial skills are an obvious recipe for disaster, is unconvincing. The sets are obviously studio constructions and the colours now look terribly washed out. The only redeeming aspect of this film is Kathleen Byron's demonic appearance. The ending is powerful and will remind you of a far better film made some years after this one.

This film amounts to an astounding array of cinematic techniques and artistry put in the service of a fairly conventional and even quaint story. In order to fully enjoy this film I would have to turn my brain off. The fundamental idea of the story is that there is some qualitative difference which amounts to an excess of "earthly" sensualism in this remote mountain location that is responsible for shaking the religious faith of a group of nuns and even driving one (Flora Robson) beyond the brink of sanity. I find this premise naive and so the entire film, despite its sometimes astounding beauty, falls apart for me. Another problem is that Deborah Kerr is such a good actress, she makes the relatively average talents of the rest of the cast almost a painful detriment. Sabu is a corny actor whose attempts to be cute are irritating (it's like he imagines he's still a child star), and his perfunctory romance with the young native girl played by Jean Simmons comes off as an afterthought in the movie. David Farrar has the right rugged screen presence but can't act either to save his life. The big fireworks are reserved for Robson, whose performance is mostly made up of lighting effects and makeup -- and thank the cinematic gods for that because otherwise it's a thoroughly clichéd and dull performance. But Kerr makes up for some of that... she truly was a genius. The way her eyes flash in the climactic scene when she whirls around, thinking to confront Robson in the small church, that's what I call "the goods." She's one in a million. Too bad even she can't rescue the embarrassing flashback sequences where she has to go through the motions of the typical "doomed young romance." She's anything but convincing as a naive emotional young girl. Her character is deeply repressed, and even though the film shows that the life she's living is a huge lie, it expects us to accept her vocation as some kind of noble sacrifice. Now I was raised Catholic, but I never heard of an Order that requires its adherents to renew their vows on an annual basis. This seems like just a very idiotic literary device included to provide some kind of dramatic impulse to the potential romance between Kerr and Farrar's characters. Even more troubling to me is the film's naive argument that this particular place is so sensual that it represents a threat to the ascetic philosophy of the nuns. Surely these nuns never should have been in a convent in the first place, if they are so upset by a little fresh air and a nice view. And this is compounded by the film's insulting and patronizing depiction of the native people of the region -- Farrar's character describes them as "children" and nothing in the film contradicts this idea. However what's truly bizarre and compelling is that the actual artifice of the film itself, all done in a studio, does seem to give this naive premise a very tangible quality as if it were plausible. I don't think you could get the same effect with natural lighting and images. So what really should seem silly, instead seems sublime. Still, the whole idea of the film is based on an illusion. The film did have a chance to push this into a higher gear by acknowledging it and transcending it, but instead squandered the chance on cheap dramatics and a brief action scene between the two contentious nuns. This is a very hard film to talk about. I think it is a film of great beauty, but it has nothing meaningful to say about the real world or about the real problems of people. Perhaps if you can watch a movie and disconnect from all feeling that there is such a thing as a real world outside the movie, then this could be one of the great films of all time. It truly is that much of a technical feat. But for me, it's basically a very well made adaptation of what seems to be a pretty lame novel. I only wish that all this talent could have been poured into something that I could believe in.

I was underwhelmed by this film. It looks wonderful, and has an interesting idea, but the careful plotting evident in the rest of Powell and Pressburger is not evident here; when things stretch here, they break. The most disappointing mistake in the film is during two separate shots at crucial points in the film there is a cut where it appears they either recycle the same footage for a few seconds to lengthen a take or they cut into another take to get the time they want for the shot. One is a close up of Sister Ruth and another is of the jungle right after a very important act occurs. Sorry, avoiding spoilers spoils reviews. Whatever, *Spoiler just in case* and I was not as taken as some by Kathleen Byron's performance as Sister Ruth. I felt it lacked subtlety. Every time we see her she's got them keerazy eyes. It just strained credibility too much to have her behave so brazenly when for God's sake she's a nun! Not that they don't have inner lives, but it went beyond permissible boundaries without proper reprimand and it felt like they were avoiding the issue instead of addressing it and finding a way for her to go nutty anyway. Also, they stir the pot so it looks like the natives are going to kill the nuns; then the Ruth plot which is only circumstantially tied to that plot contrivance becomes the main focus; then they completely forget that there was supposed to be danger. I also did not love the attitude towards the natives. I didn't just want some politically correct concessions, but they are all described as children throughout and the script has them all behave like children throughout. I was very surprised that was Jean Simmons. Quite a transformation. David Farrar was serviceable, but the part is underwritten. He should have a sign on his hairy-chest that says "charming rogue." He does little to merit the fuss made over him or to suggest that the character has greater depths. Even the title is referred to only in passing, as a label for Sabu's character, and then forgotten, and it isn't really quite apt as it relates to vanity and not temptation as it would be more appropriate to. Quite a good score, wonderful cinematography (although I believe the other comment about color processes is correct), and there are moments where Powell's sheer intelligence shines through but they are rare. On the whole I don't quite understand why this film has acquired its epic reputation, on the whole it leaves too much out; not to the imagination, just out.

Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) is promoted to Sister Superior, and sent to establish an Anglican mission/convent/school in a remote village high in the Himalayas. With her she brings several other nuns (a level-headed Judith Furse, an older nun Flora Robson, and a neophyte Kathleen Byron). The strange atmosphere of this remote region affects all those involved. Ruth (Kathleen Byron) falls hopelessly in love with a British jack-of-all trades and local agent (David Farrar). The surrounding events and Farrar's presence also rekindle Kerr's memories of a failed love affair she once had with a young man (Shaun Noble). When Noble left her life, Jesus Christ entered, and Kerr became a nun. Jean Simmons plays a beautiful beggar girl, who is placed in the care of Kerr by Farrar. Simmons later becomes Prince Dilip Raj's (Sabu's) wife, of sorts. The most stunning scenes occur toward the end of the movie. Ruth's mental disintegration and her pathetic pass at Farrar are very sad. Ruth's change in appearance is visually riveting, as much perhaps as Isabelle Adjani's transformation in The Story of Adele H. The performances by Kerr and Byron are superlative, their facial expressions revealing deep heartfelt emotion and pain. If you think Holly Hunter did a great (non-speaking) acting job in The Piano, see Black Narcissus for a real revelation! This Powell-Pressburger film is one of the most beautifully photographed color movies ever made. Black Narcissus won two Academy awards, for art direction and cinematography. It would take over 3 decades for a comparable film (Days of Heaven) to come along. If you are fortunate enough to have viewed the laserdisc version of the movie, you will be able to listen to Powell and Scorsese do a running commentary of the movie. Toward the end, you will learn how the final scene was shot to a film score, and not the other way around.

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source: Black Narcissus

Trailer—Black Narcissus

Black Narcissus