Review of Black Narcissus (1947) by Lucia S — 01 Feb 2008

Hauntingly bleak and dreary film with a magnificent performance by Deborah Kerr. Despite the strength of the storyline, my biggest complaint about the film dealt with the obviously matte paintings in the background--it was rather distracting.

However, the tension between Kerr's character and the crazed sister Ruth was quite thrilling to see unravel. The final bell tolling scene was quite suspenseful and frightening. In addition, the use of color and lighting in this film was beautiful--quite an achievement for the time period considering the relative newness of technicolor.

Overall a tragic movie but masterfully crafted.