Black Narcissus

The Criterion DVD edition of "Black Narcissus" brings out the most brilliant aspects of the film, a brightness and splendor that makes the drab Order of Mary nuns re-think a few things. The magnificent & exotic locale, high in the Himalayas, as well as clashing cultures trying to meld, make this a most absorbing experience. Okay, the nuns take a castle in the mountains to teach the locals. That's all I'll tell of the plot. The psychological experiences of each nun are vividly portrayed, as well as the intrusion of a local girl and an Indian prince. A very mystic atmosphere pervades, and the nuns start thinking mundane thoughts. Ah! The mystery of the mountains! It's a bit of a downer to find out that you're not seeing the Himalayas in their splendor; rather, all was filmed on a stage in England. The Oscar-winning art direction and cinematography are totally responsible for creating this wonderfully mysterious place. The Criterion version preserves the phenomenal photography, with colors clashing against each other, creating a visual display of the confusion those poor nuns were facing. Indeed, they all changed, in one way or another. Clear and crisp, you can see every facial wrinkle and every minute detail of costumes and jewelry. A fine achievement. Shadows against sunlight, and brilliant color...quite lovely. It's fun to see a post-adolescent Sabu, though here he plays a fancy young guy and looks uncomfortable, considering his greatest fame came wearing a much more comfortable loincloth. The rest of the acting is excellent, without exception. Deborah Kerr, in one of her first big roles, is commanding, as well as Kathleen Byron, Flora Robson, David Farrar, and an amazing performance by a 17-year old Jean Simmons, as a little Indian tart. I was most taken with the performance of May Hallatt as the crazy caretaker of the palace, who really put a lot in perspective. It's impressive that director Powell and writer Pressburger were in such close collaboration that they took equal credit for everything. As the liner notes tell, England was slow to recover after WW II, and watching the English nuns leave the most spiritual surroundings somehow suggest that the English had no business in India. They didn't understand their surroundings. Interesting. (David Lean's wonderful "A Passage to India" had a similar message). There is a cleansing rainstorm as the nuns leave, which suggests that life will go on, as usual, though the look on Farrar's face at the end is less than hopeful. My favorite moment is when May Hallatt finds out a bunch of "ladies" will be coming, expecting the old days of the harems. Imagine her surprise when she gets a bunch of nuns. If you haven't seen this film already, prepare yourself for a truly visual treat. Young filmmakers should see this, to learn about plot/character development, real conflict & resolution. I'm glad to own it.I

Black Narcissus (1947) is another Powell and Pressburger masterpiece, right on the heels of their more famous film, The Red Shoes (1948). In Black Narcissus, we’re brought into a world of nuns trying to establish a convent in the Himalayas, and the external and internal conflicts that arise from such an undertaking. Strong emotions of jealousy, infatuation, and erotic passion bring this film to an unforgettable climax. Kathleen Bryon is incredible as Sister Ruth, a deranged nun who pursues a man who doesn’t want her professed love. Her makeup job near the end of the film as she’s going mad is an image that will stay with you. Deborah Kerr is amazing as Sister Clodagh, a woman who’s the voice of reason among the nuns. The rich color and beautiful lighting patterns really evoke the right mood and tone for the story. This film is sort of a cross between The Bell’s of St. Mary’s, The Wizard of Oz (it’s darker elements), and Vertigo, though the latter came out 11 years later. Overall, this Criterion Collection blu ray is spectacular, offering a great picture and sound, as well as a booklet and interesting special features. I highly recommend this film for its amazing presentation by two very talented directors.

EXCELLENT CONDITION, SPEEDY DELIVERY

I have watched this film over and over because I am visually attracted to it and I find the musical score enthralling. This does not prevent me from also enjoying the substance of the story the film wants to entertain us with. This is the story of a young Sister Superior, Sister Clodagh, and four nuns, who establish a nunnery on the edge of the cliff in the Himalayan mountains, in a building that used to be a brothel. They establish a school for children, a class for girls, and an infirmary. Guided by the principles of hard work, the nuns set out to change the people, but at the conclusion of this story, we will see that the nuns are the ones who change, affected by the environment - the never-stopping wind, the isolation of the mountains, and the people's beliefs. The hard work philosophy of the nuns cannot prevent them from repressing their desires (Sister Ruth, particularly, and shown in more subtle ways through Sister Clodagh), nor the yearning of the past (Sister Clodagh and Sister Phillipa), nor their desire to be loved (Sister Honey). For these reasons, I believe that the story is titled Black Narcissus, the name associated with self-love. Moreover, the presence of a Prince's agent, the mundane Mr. Dean, is unsettling. For Sister Ruth (and Sister Clodagh in more subtle ways) he is sexually appealing, and for the nuns in general, he is a reminder that the nuns must find help, not from above in heaven, but from below. The mundane Mr. Dean will also be the answer to their problems later on. Eventually, the nuns will lose control of events which will lead to some tragic consequences. Without spoiling the film's conclusion, parts of the film's resolution show one of the scariest scenes I've ever seen in the movie. Within all this, as I mentioned above, every shot in this film is beautiful for its color or presentation of nature. In addition to this, you get to see Deborah Kerr giving an excellent performance as Sister Clodagh, and a younger Jean Simmons (The Robe and Spartacus) playing a sensuous 16 year-old Indian girl who desires to be a woman.

A must have. This is state of the art blu-ray imaging--so sharp and detailed the close-ups are constantly startling. The long shots and landscapes are breathtaking. With proper color-balance settings, the nuns look appropriately pale, while The Archers' logo and the vibrant flowers and foliage are still stunningly brilliant. One of the supplements notes that after two weeks of shooting, Jack Cardiff complained that even though the actresses were wearing NO make up (purposely to produce an appropriate pallor), their lips were photographing as red as if they were wearing lipstick--so they used a concealer over their natural lip color to mute this effect. As this pallor is intentional, and the first few scenes are almost monochromatic, try to resist the temptation to crank up the color. Be patient, because the film establishes this early quiet, pale baseline as contrast to the florid, exotic seduction and horrifying madness and tragedy to follow. This is glorious melodrama exalted to classic tragedy, that brilliantly shows an order of women--repressing their memories and their desires--uprooted, and physically AND emotionally unsettled and seduced by new surroundings that are exotic, and erotic, and dangerous. This masterpiece has shocked and haunted us for decades. The stunning blu-ray redoubles that pleasure.

The Black Narcissus is a great movie BUT I have had a difficult time getting burned-purple tinted-DVDS to play. The Black Narcissus DVD went back to Amazon. So, If you have a difficult time playing burned DVDS be careful who you buy from. Otherwise, The Black Narcissus is one of those amazing, visually stunning movies that The Archers—Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger—wrote, directed, produced that continues to impress more than a half century after its initial 1947 release. It’s not surprising some reviewers write/wrote some lengthy dissertations (as it were) about this incredible production. I saw The Black Narcissus on TCM some years ago and still wish to purchase The Red Shoes (a selling your soul to the devil symbolic tale); as well as The Canterbury Tale, also, by the impressive Powell and Pressburger movie making team. I do own the underrated Stairway To Heaven (1946, aka A Matter of Life and Death) that offers a similar The Devil and Daniel Webster ‘court’ story line that is also a visual treat (Webster directed by William Dieterle). But, One particular memorable moment from The Black Narcissus is the realization a scene or two are nothing if not a representation of a modern horror movie. Truly chilling someone gone ‘mad’ scene. Not surprisingly Michael Powell directed the at first vilified Peeping Tom in 1960 that is now considered an ahead of its time horror classic. Yep, another movie I need to see again. The Black Narcissus is a 5 star movie I’d love to own on a working, not burned DVD.

And it's from the Criterion Collection! The DVD and case are in great shape! Thanks for the quick delivery and on time.

Black Narcissus stands as a peak film in the career of Michael Powell and Emerich Pressburger. A flawless script centered on the personal experiences of a group of nuns that live in the Himalayas. The beauty of the place, the beauty of Nature all soon start to have a strange effect on those women. This is a movie about the conflicts between spirit and flesh. And what a film! On top of it we have a impecable cast and what I believe to be the best cinematography work I have ever experienced - courtesy of the great Mr. Jack Cardiff. The cinematography IS BREATHTAKING. As breathtaking as nothing I have ever seen on the technicolor days. I disagree with one reviewer who complained that Criterion Collection failed to bring us this film just because the aspect ratio was 1.33:1 (instead of a widescreen version). I strongly disagree with that idea and I must recall that Black Narcissus was made in 1947. At that time films had the 1.33:1 ratio. Widescreen only came up in the early 50's. It happeened that later on, some films had a fake-widescreen effect just for re-release purposes. Black Narcissus was filmed using a technicolor process involving 3 negatives and its correct aspect ratio was 1.33:1. Criterion's edition of Black Narcissus is a gem. A great buy. You will never see anything like this again!