Black Narcissus (1947)

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.

Directors:

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Rumer Godden (adapted from the novel by), Michael Powell

Stars:

Deborah Kerr, David Farrar, Flora Robson

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

Sister Clodagh, currently posted at the Convent of the Order of the Servants of Mary in Calcutta, has just been appointed the Sister Superior of the St. Faith convent, making her the youngest sister superior in the order. The appointment is despite the reservations of the Reverend Mother who believes Sister Clodagh not ready for such an assignment, especially because of its isolated location. The convent will be a new one located in the mountainside Palace of Mopu in the Himalayas, and is only possible through the donation by General Todo Rai of Mopu - "The Old General" - of the palace, where the Old General's father formerly kept his concubines. On the Old General's directive, the convent is to provide schooling to the children and young women, and general dispensary services to all native residents who live in the valley below the palace. Accompanying Sister Clodagh will be four of the other nuns, each chosen for a specific reason: Sister Briony for her strength, Sister Phillipa who...

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Plot Keywords:

himalayan mountains | sexual repression | female protagonist | nun | mountain | 

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Taglines:

A Story to Storm Your Heart! Drama at the top of the world ... where winds of the exotic past sweep men and women to strange and fascinating adventure...

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Narciso negro

Filming Locations:

D&P Studios, Pinewood, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£280,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Archers, Independent Producers

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

St Faith (Sainte Foy in French, Santa Fe in Spanish) is supposedly a French martyr executed at Agen in Gaul (France) during the period when Diocletian was persecuting the Christians. She was tortured to death in a red-hot brazier. Her shrine is at Conques, France.

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Goofs

(at around 1 min) There is a statue of the crucified Christ, complete with the requisite wounds. However, the wound on his chest is on the wrong side - it is always shown on the left side; this one is on the right. Note that this is merely an artistic convention; the Bible (Jn 19:34) does not mention which side was pierced.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mother Dorothea: Sita, go and tell Sister Clodagh I wish to speak with her.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits:- Convent Of The Order of The Servants Of Mary - Calcutta

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Alternate Versions

The closeups of Sister Ruth applying lipstick and wearing makeup were deleted from the original U.S. prints.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojoUK: Top 10 British Movies That Mess with Your Head (2018)

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Soundtracks

Lullay My Liking
(uncredited)
Old Edwardian Carol
Music by Sir Richard Terry
New music by Brian Easdale

User Reviews

A Hypnotic and Dazzling Film

This spellbinding movie from that spellbinding film-making team (Powell and Pressburger) is another entry in the long line of literary and film stories that revolve around British restraint and repression unraveling under the force of mysterious foreign cultures (usually Eastern and frequently Indian), and it's one of the best.

A group of nuns travel to the Himalayas to do missionary work among the natives, but instead find themselves coming under the mystical spell of the place and people around them. Deborah Kerr is stunning as the head nun, who's determined to maintain order and British civility at all costs. I still can't decide whether this or "The Innocents" (1961) gave her her best role. At the other extreme is Kathleen Byron's Sister Ruth, who renounces her vows, paints her lips bright red, and engages in a fierce battle of wills with Kerr. What follows is a film that is surprisingly sexual, erotic and wild.

Powell and Pressburger are experts at using color. Instead of employing their Technicolor to simply make their film look pretty, the color almost becomes a character in itself, creating a feverish, hyper-realistic glow to the film. Legendary cameraman Jack Cardiff is responsible for the sterling and Oscar-winning cinematography. Equally stunning is the art direction, which created very realistic mountains out of papier-mache.

A simply sensational film, one that holds up completely and could be watched again and again. This and "Out of the Past" vie in my esteem for best film released in 1947.

Grade: A+