Review of Black Narcissus (1947) by Jens T — 14 Jul 2011

Powell and Pressburger's Black Narcissus is a well-ploted story and with beautiful images and colors thanks to the art directon and cinematography which this picture won two academy awards for, and that's what makes this picture so amazing, but the other elements are also good, such as great acting preformances, specially by Deborah Kerr as Sister Clodagh. We also have a eighteen-years-old Jean Simmons as the mute indian girl Kanchi.

Black Narcissus is the story about Sister Clodagh who works as a nun in Calcutta who is been elected by the elder to form a school and a hosbital in remote location in the Himalayas. But it isn't going to be easy, most because of the remote feeling everyone of the newcommers gets. Sister Clodagh begins to think back to the days before she became a nun, back in her native country of Ireland about here lost love ones. This is the first time she has though of this in years, and she's not the only one, the rest of the nun also seems to feel out of place and far away from home, this might get some fatal consequences. It's in many ways another brilliant psychological thriller from Powell and Pressburger.

Black Narcissus was released in may in 1947, just a few mounths before India became independent from the british empire. Black Narcissus is a farewell letter from britain. And the final scene really reflect of that theme. Thumbs up.