Review of Black Narcissus (1947) by Ashley H — 02 Nov 2011
The film has great cinematography, but it's dragged down by over-dramatic and poorly mixed soundtrack music. Actually, it's hyper-dramatic...really quite embarrassingly excessive at some points, and merely a nuisance at others.
The acting ranges from brilliant (Deborah Kerr, David Farrar, Flora Robson) to good (everyone else). Kathleen Byron's performance was more caricature than convincing as the psychotic nun Sister Ruth, although most of that can be laid at the director's feet.
It's not uncommon to find glowing praise for the technical accomplishments in this movie, which apparently account for at least some its reputation as a "classic". Maybe so, but none of that can save the film from its worst fault: the story.
I judge a movie by the way it makes me feel when it's over, or by whether it inspires me, or elevates me, or tickles me, or fascinates me, or stimulates me to think about things I've not considered before. Black Narcissus does none of that. It's actually quite a dark and depressing story. In the end, it turns out to be a big fat bummer, and all of the films strengths can't redeem that fatal flaw.
This review of Black Narcissus (1947) was written by Ashley H on 02 Nov 2011.
Black Narcissus has generally received very positive reviews.
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