Black Narcissus (1947)

Directors:

Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Rumer Godden (adapted from the novel by)
Michael Powell (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

December 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Exquisite Yearning ! . . . Exotic Living ! High in a hidden mountain village of a strange land and extravagant dreams and desires become exciting realities !

Plot:

After opening a convent in the Himalayas, five nuns encounter conflict and tension - both with the natives and also within their own group - as they attempt to adapt to their remote, exotic surroundings.

Plot Keywords:

Nun | Convent | General | Tragedy | Cliff

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins

Cast

Deborah Kerr	...	Sister Clodagh
Flora Robson	...	Sister Philippa
Jenny Laird	...	Sister Honey
Judith Furse	...	Sister Briony
Kathleen Byron	...	Sister Ruth
Esmond Knight	...	The Old General
Sabu	...	The Young General
David Farrar	...	Mr. Dean
Jean Simmons	...	Kanchi
May Hallatt	...	Angu Ayah
Eddie Whaley Jr.	...	Joseph Anthony
Shaun Noble	...	Con
Nancy Roberts	...	Mother Dorothea
Ley On	...	Phuba
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joan Cozier	...	Girl in Classroom (uncredited)
Helen de Broy	...	Clodagh's Mother in Flashback (uncredited)
Maxwell Foster	...	Clodagh's Father in Flashback (uncredited)
Margaret Scudamore	...	Clodagh's Grandmother in Flashback (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writing credits
Rumer Godden		(adapted from the novel by)
Michael Powell		(written by) &
Emeric Pressburger		(written by)

Produced by
George R. Busby	....	assistant producer
Michael Powell	....	producer
Emeric Pressburger	....	producer

Original Music by
Brian Easdale		(music and sound score composed by)

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff		(photographed in Technicolor by)

Film Editing by
Reginald Mills

Casting by
Adele Raymond		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Alfred Junge

Costume Design by
Hein Heckroth

Makeup Department
George Blackler	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Biddy Chrystal	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Ernest Gasser	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
June Robinson	....	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sydney Streeter	....	assistant director (as Sydney S. Streeter)
Laurie Knight	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Robert Lynn	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Pat MacDonnell	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Kenneth K. Rick	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Lawson	....	assistant art director
Harold Batchelor	....	chief construction manager (uncredited)
Ivor Beddoes	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Beatrice Dawson	....	jewellery (uncredited)
Allan Harris	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
William Kellner	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Don Picton	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Elliot Scott	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stanley Lambourne	....	sound
Gordon K. McCallum	....	dubbing
John Dennis	....	chief production mixer (uncredited)
George Paternoster	....	boom operator (uncredited)
John Seabourne Jr.	....	dubbing editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
E. Hague	....	special effects (uncredited)
Jack Higgins	....	special effects (uncredited)
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	process shots
Ivor Beddoes	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Arthur George Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Thomas Sydney Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Peter Ellenshaw	....	assistant matte artist (uncredited)
E. Hague	....	special effects camera (uncredited)
Jack Higgins	....	foreground miniatures (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Allport	....	assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
George Cannon	....	still photographer: color (uncredited)
Christopher Challis	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ian Craig	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Ronald Cross	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Fred Daniels	....	still photographer: portraits (uncredited)
Michael Livesey	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Max Rosher	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Herbert Salisbury	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Stanley W. Sayer	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Edward Scaife	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bill Wall	....	lighting electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorothy Edwards	....	wardrobe mistress (uncredited)
Elizabeth Hennings	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Bob Rayner	....	wardrobe master (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Noreen Ackland	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
Lee Doig	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
Seymour Logie	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Brian Easdale	....	conductor: The London Symphony Orchestra
Ted Drake	....	music recordist (uncredited)

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	associate colour control
Natalie Kalmus	....	colour control
J. Arthur Rank	....	presenter (as J.Arthur Rank)
Joanna Busby	....	assistant continuity (uncredited)
Winifred Dyer	....	continuity (uncredited)
Vivienne Knight	....	publicist (uncredited)
Bill Paton	....	assistant: Mr. Powell (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Archers, The (as A Production of the Archers)
• Independent Producers (uncredited)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1947) (UK) (theatrical) (released through)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Eagle Lion Film (1947) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Eagle-Lion Films (1947) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Carlton International Media
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• F.J. Lucas (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Filmax Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Hallmark Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• VZ-Handelsgesellschaft (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• VidAmerica (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  music played by (as The London Symphony Orchestra)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  by arrangement with: Deborah Kerr
• Universal International Pictures (UI)  us releasing agent (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #11874, Adult Audience) | UK:U (video rating) (1986) (2005) (uncut) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1985) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | Australia:PG | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:12 (2004) | West Germany:16 | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | UK:U (re-rating) (2005) | UK:U (tv rating) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1947) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

County Galway, Ireland

Company:

Archers, The

Trivia:

Jack Cardiff came up with the idea of starting the rainfall end scene by first having a few drops hit the rhubarb leaves before cueing a full-force rainstorm. He personally created the first drops with water from a cup when the scene was shot. Michael Powell was so pleased with the effect that he decided to make the scene, originally the penultimate one, the closing shot. Cardiff, however, was a great fan of the original scene (which had already been shot) that was supposed to follow this one and close the film. To this day Cardiff amusingly calls the opening drops of the rainfall "the worst idea I ever had".

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During a shot of the Himalayan mountains, stagehands can be seen standing and walking about behind the scrim on which the mountains are painted.

Quotes:

Young Prince:5am to 7am, algebra with the mathematical Sister. 8am to 10am, religion, especially Christianity with the scriptural Sister. 10am, art. 1pm to 3pm, French and Russian with the French and Russian Sisters, if any. 3pm to 4pm, physics with the physical Sister.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Profile of 'The Red Shoes' (2000)

Soundtrack:

Lullay My Liking

Nuns story.

As time goes by,Powell and Pressburger's movies become more and more important and crucial in the evolution of the seventh art.The first time I 'd seen "black narcissus" I had missed the whole point:this is the kind of film you've got to see several times.

Five nuns are leaving their Calcutta convent for a mission in the Himalaya mountains.In this place,where the wind never stops blowing,they will settle in an old "palace".These nuns have faith,they believe in what they are doing ,be it teaching,nursing,educating,or carrying the word of God.But their faith will clash with a thousand -tear-old wisdom(the Holy Man),a population who mixes up religion with magic,and Mister Dean, a Bunuelesque pragmatic man.

The natives will not change,but the nuns will.Their faith gets still tangled in prejudices;two examples:

-A young noble man wants to study in the mission.When sister Clodagh (Kerr) refuses,he points his finger at the crucifix and says "Wasn't HE a man?"" He took the shape of a man" the baffled nun answers.

-Sister Clodagh wants to get rid of the Holy Man,who spends his time gazing upon the world around him."What would Jesus Christ have done?" Dean ironically asks her.

After hearing sister Philippa's (Flora Robson)worried confidences,sister Clodagh feels that her past is coming back to haunt her.The flashbacks are extraordinary,dreamlike and a bit eerie.Clodagh comes to the door to meet her fiancé ,there's only darkness.The past and the present are worlds apart,in time and in space and seem to be two unconnected ones .It recalls the real world and the beyond in "a matter of life and death" (1946).And the infinite space of the 1946 work is here the highest mountains in the world.By the same token,the hunting with hounds flashback forecasts "gone to earth" (1949).Powell and Pressburger are real auteurs who build a coherent work.

The nuns actually discover that they are women made of flesh and blood.One of them,sister Ruth goes as far as falling in love with Dean and relinquishes religion.The night scene during which she paints her lips against a hellish backdrop in front of a terrified sister Clodagh is a riveting tour de force that even Luis Bunuel did not equal.The fighting around the (hell) bell between a white Clodagh and an all dressed in black Ruth will leave you on the edge of your seat.

There are so many things to say about "black narcissus":Jean Simmons appears in a silent ,but vicious part.This is probably Deborah Kerr's towering performance,and she's only on the threshold of a brilliant career -she will play a nun once more in John Huston's "heaven knows mister Allison" ,but although I do love that director,her part here is far superior-.Jack Cardiff's award-winning color cinematography was years ahead of its time.It works wonders in the sensual scenes but the most beautiful picture remains for me the last one when the rain begins to fall on green leaves.

A sparkling black diamond.