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Black Narcissus

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7.5/10 • 474

1947-05-261h 40m

Drama

A story of exquisite yearning in a strange and beautiful land. Towering over the screen ... as the mountains that saw it happen.

A group of Anglican nuns, led by Sister Clodagh, are sent to a mountain in the Himalayas. The climate in the region is hostile and the nuns are housed in an odd old palace. They work to establish a school and a hospital, but slowly their focus shifts. Sister Ruth falls for a government worker, Mr. Dean, and begins to question her vow of celibacy. As Sister Ruth obsesses over Mr. Dean, Sister Clodagh becomes immersed in her own memories of love.

Directors
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Writters
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Editors
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Reginald Mills

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Deborah Kerr

    Deborah Kerr

    Sister Clodagh

  2. David Farrar

    David Farrar

    Mr. Dean

  3. Flora Robson

    Flora Robson

    Sister Philippa

  4. Kathleen Byron

    Kathleen Byron

    Sister Ruth

  5. Sabu

    Sabu

    The Young General

  6. Jean Simmons

    Jean Simmons

    Kanchi

  7. Jenny Laird

    Jenny Laird

    Sister Honey

  8. Judith Furse

    Judith Furse

    Sister Briony

  9. Esmond Knight

    Esmond Knight

    The Old General

Reviews3

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John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Feb 17, 2020

9/10

Do you think it's a good thing to let her feel important? Black Narcissus is directed by Micheal Powell and Emeric Pressburger, who both adapt the screenplay form Rumer Godden's novel of the same name. It stars Deborah Kerr, Sabu, Jean Simmons, David Farrar, Flora Robson and Kathleen Byron. Music is scored by Brain Easdale and cinematography by Jack Cardiff. A group of nuns travel to the Himalayas to set up a school and hospital at the disused Palace of Mopu. Once set up high in the mountains, some of the nuns find themselves seduced by the atmospheric sensuality of the place. Which spells trouble as inner demons start to seep out. I haven't got much of a review here for you, it really would be redundant due to the widespread availability of detailed works written about the film over the years. Besides which, I can only really agree with 99% of what has been said about the film before. Is there anything new that can be said? I don't think so, really I don't. Black Narcissus is an experience, a sort of ode to spiritual cinema and a bastion of visual splendour. Some call it a masterpiece, others say it's just shy of being as such, but either way a vast majority of film lovers agree it's film making of considerable skill. Negatively, however small in the grand scheme of things, it's thin on story and a couple of our lead nun protagonists here are actually too filmy and pretty; I mean I don't intend to insult the thousands of real nuns in the world, but none are surely as foxy as Kerr and Byron as presented here?! You can kind of tell it's the meeting of a visualist and a story teller trying to find a common ground, but the visualist (Powell) holds sway for this one and film lovers the world over are all the better for it. With a spitfire on form cast, matte paintings and Technicolor so beautiful that eye orgasms are guaranteed, and sensual suspense dripping from the roof, Black Narcissus is landmark British film making. Brought to us by two directors whose every plaudit is definitely justified. 9/10

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$424,000.00
Revenue
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Keywords
based on novel or bookhimalaya mountain rangenunmountainforbidden loveindiabengal