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Yar, you be here: Black Narcissus - Criterion Collection > Customer Reviews Black Narcissus - Criterion Collection Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 23 Reviews)A Childhood Memory
I will never forget the first time I saw this film; I was a little kid living in Los Angeles, and I loved it. A few years later, we moved to Houston, where I saw it again. The scene toward the end--where two nuns "battle" each other--has remained with me for decades. It was something I would never forget. A few nights ago I watched it on one of the cable channels. Admittedly, I had a certain fear and trembling and sickness unto death before it started, thinking it would not be as good as I remembered. (I've had this experience with other "childhood" movies.) Was it that good? It was better! I enjoyed every minute of it and will try to watch it every time it's shown. I might even buy it--I'm not that passionate about that many films, but this has to be one of my all-time favorites. (And to think that a nice Jewish boy would really get into a movie about Catholic nuns. Clutch the pearls!) The Criterion version is COMPLETE
I am not sure why the poster believes the film is missing a scene. I have the Criterion edition, and I have just watched the scene. It starts about 43 minutes into the film, and it involves the beggar girl looking at wall art, dancing, and trying to seduce the young General. In the commentary, Michael Powell says, in reference to the girl's dance: "When Larry Olivier saw this... he couldn't believe it. His Ophelia [from 'Hamlet' in 1948] changed into this..." I've posted snapshots from the film of this scene in the Criterion version. There is one minor error in the Criterion and previous versions of the film that have been released. When Sister Ruth sees red and passes out, the screen goes to blue instead of black. This is most likely the result of some electronic sampler that thought "black" meant "no signal", and as VCRs will do, switched the screen to blue. This film is excellent and Jack Cardiff was a genius. It rightly won the Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration in 1947. An intense & powerful hothouse flower!
Last night I watched this movie again, for the first time in a long time. I'd forgotten just how good, how stunning, it is! As a study in repression & the violent release of unconscious passions, as well as the unsettling similarities between spiritual devotion & carnal desire, it is unmatched. As for the cast: Deborah Kerr is excellent as the somewhat rigid nun who turned to a life of religious service after the great love of her younger life ended in humiliating disaster for her. Clearly she has never come to terms with that part of her life, preferring to bury & deny it. But in the lush setting of the Old General's "house of women," complete with earthy & unashamed wall paintings everywhere, a constantly keening wind, and the attraction/distraction of the dissolute Mr. Dean, Kerr's Sister Clodagh is stirred to her core, despite herself, struggling to maintain her outward image of resolute spiritual life. Sabu is delightful as the vain but always likable peacock, the Young General, eager to learn everything. He speaks directly, honestly, like a child playing at being a man; but he's never an object of ridicule. Jean Simmons, no more than a teenager in a non-speaking role, is sinuous, sly, erotic, a sensual & cunning wild animal as the native girl Kanchi, who begins by setting her sights on the bemused Mr. Dean (who knows better than to respond), but soon pours all of her considerable charms into winning the Young General. But Kathleen Byron provides the most astonishing performance as the unhinged Sister Ruth, seething with resentment, envy, and repressed sexuality, becoming an almost demonic figure of passion as the film builds to its climax (pun very much intended). When she sheds her chaste white habit for a modern, form-fitting black dress, it seems to burn dark red; and her every movement is agitated, over-stimulated, both desperate & lustful at once. The scene as she puts on her stockings is both frantic & suffused with wild yearning. The closeups of her red-lipsticked mouth & her dark, burning eyes utterly seer the screen. The last 20 minutes or so of the film are more like a religious horror film than anything else, with the overwrought music perfect for the vivid, overheated images filling our eyes. Just amazing! The overall look is rich & sumptuous, filled with countless ornate details -- truly "painting with film." And its emotional intensity will remain with you once the final credits roll. Most highly recommended!
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