Black Narcissus - Film review

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's Black Narcissus (1947) is a melodrama surrounding a group of nuns attempting to start a convent on the Himalayas.

Fig.1

Black Narcissus, whilst set in India, was filmed near entirely in a London studio.
The backgrounds of the mountains and trees were all matte paintings, and the aerial shots of the palace are shots of miniatures.
The landscapes are not of any specific area, although they may be reminiscent of  certain locations. "Gentle, green hillsides [...] suddenly turn into vertiginous canyons when viewed from another angle." (Kehr 2001)

Fig.2

Colour plays an important role in the film with reds used to signify passion, a stark contrast to the nun's clothing, which is white to signify purity.
The red colouring is used in some cases, glaringly obvious, and in others, subtle.
As the film progresses Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) is shown to have red rimmed eyes, which get more prominent the more she succumbs to her desires, and this adds to a scene nearing the end where she faints and you're unsure as to her mental state until she opens her eyes, and shows the red and lets you know that her next plans are rather sinister. "Used as a thematic device, colour became a way of externalising the nuns’ secret thoughts, their repressed emotions and desires." (Lukas 2009)
Nearing the end of the film, Sister Ruth is show to brush herself off of the convent by donning a red dress, and further cements it by applying red lipstick in a seductive manner.

Fig.3

The soundtrack of the film helps in displaying the emotions of the scene, and it would sometimes take the place of speech in a scene for an even bigger impact. "Brian Easdale's score makes obvious emotional points, never rising above the mundane." (Gillett 2008:77)




Bibliography:
Images:
Figure 1, Poster (1947) [poster] At: https://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/black-narcissus/poster/ (Accessed on 14 November 2017)
Figure 2, Film still (1947) [film still] At: https://fanwithamovieyammer.wordpress.com/2014/07/06/154-tie-black-narcissus-1947-dir-michael-powell-emeric-pressburger/ (Accessed on 14 November 2017)
Figure 3, Film still (1947) [film still] At: http://glamourdaze.com/2012/09/1940s-makeup-the-famous-lipstick-scene-in-black-narcissus.html (Accessed on 16 November 2017)
Quotes:
Gillett, P. (2008) Movie Greats: A Critical Study of Classic Cinema [online] At: http://lib.myilibrary.com/Open.aspx?id=228604 (Accessed on 16 November 2017)
Kehr, D. (2001) At: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/94-black-narcissus (Accessed on 16 November 2017)
Lukas, K. (2009) At: http://sensesofcinema.com/2009/cteq/black-narcissus/ (Accessed on 14 November 2017)