Review of Black Narcissus (1947) by Edith N — 18 Sep 2009
People have tried to hang the 'noir' label on a lot of films that probably didn't deserve it, but I wonder if this one has ever been regarded in that light? The setting's all wrong, of course, but the intricate studio lighting, the undercurrent of decadence, and most of all the central character are pure film noir.
She's running away from a past she can never escape, she reckons with real, tangible evil, and somehow makes it out with her soul intact. The plot, at least half of which is skillfully implied rather than shown, is intriguing even discounting its allusions to a host of essential human experiences.
Characters are simultaneously unique individuals and universal archetypes, and their conflicts play out in the smallest and most cosmic of scales. As is the mark of a real classic, nothing is wasted, no shot, no line of dialogue.
I hardly need to mention that for a film to look this good, in color no less, in the year 1947 is strictly absurd. A towering achievement and a worthy monument in film canon.
This review of Black Narcissus (1947) was written by Edith N on 18 Sep 2009.
Black Narcissus has generally received very positive reviews.
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