A Canterbury Tale (1944)

A US Army sergeant (John Sweet) on his way to the English city of Canterbury accidentally gets off the train one stop too early, where he meets a British sergeant (Dennis Price) and pretty Alison (Sheila Sim). When some man puts glue into Alison’s hair, the three are determined to track him down.

The title is a reference to The Canterbury Tales, a fourteenth century collection of stories by Geoffrey Chaucer. Director Michael Powell grew up just outside the city and this film is his love letter to it. There is an ancient road that pilgrims used centuries ago to travel to Canterbury, where they would receive blessings. This is important, because our heroes are modern day pilgrims, apparently, even though they aren’t actually going to Canterbury for much of the film.

All three leads were unknowns, none more unknown than Sweet, an actual sergeant in the US Army with no acting experience. Other than a short released the same year, this was his only screen credit. His lack of acting skill was quite evident. Alison, as was actress Sim, is in the Woman’s Land Army, a program to place women on farms to replace men who left for the war. She and Sergeant Johnson cross paths with characters that feel like they will become part of the story, but don’t.

A Canterbury Tale begins as a detective story, then becomes something different. I have high expectations for a Powell/Pressburger production, especially one as revered as this. It does feature some excellent visuals (black and white in academy aspect, as it is), but initial audiences didn’t quite know what to make of the film. I seem to be in their camp. Perhaps a second viewing. AMRU 3.

Black Narcissus (1947)

Five nuns, led by the unfortunately named Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr), start a convent high in the Himalayas. The brisk air and clear water cause the sisters to remember.

Filmed on back lots and studio sets, the painted backdrops are nevertheless breathtaking. Few viewers will be tricked into thinking they are anything other than what they are, but they still have impact. It’s a shame it came before the invention of CinemaScope. A wider aspect would have made it all the more impressive.

The old palace they are given to use was once a “House of Women”, which is exactly what that sounds like. The nuns are assisted by the enigmatic Mr. Dean (David Farrar). His gruff manner and manly good looks stir things in Clodagh, and the troubled Sister Ruth. He looked foolish appearing shirtless on an undersized donkey, but I suppose this was period accurate.

So, our story is about the nuns trying to overcome many obstacles (personal and otherwise) to run a successful convent, while everyone else is certain of their failure. There are many side characters, many of which were played by plausibly ethnic appropriate actors. The Young General (son of the Old General who granted the palace to the nuns) was played by Indian actor Sabu, famous for his roles in The Jungle Book and The Thief of Bagdad.

A very young Jean Simmons (in ‘Himalayan face’?) plays a wayward girl whose eyes catch with the Young General’s. Also, English actress May Hallatt plays a delightfully batty caretaker. Remember, this is the 1940’s, and western society and the church weren’t given glowing depictions.

Black Narcissus (named for the Young General's fancy cologne) is a slow and engaging watch. Style-wise it isn’t altogether different from Michael Powell’s The Red Shoes. Amazing visuals paired with a certain level of fantastic realism. And like The Red Shoes, it is an impressive and immersive watch, but certainly not for everyone. But for me, AMRU 4.

“I have invited some ladies to stay here at the House of Women.” 

“Ladies! Oh, that will be like old times!”

“It will not be in the least like old times. They are not that kind of lady at all.”

“Then they won’t be any fun.”

The Red Shoes (1948)

A talented young ballerina (Moira Shearer) and a 40ish college student composer (Marius Goring) are given career breaks by the difficult head (Anton Walbrook) of a great ballet company. Soon young Victoria must choose between the man she loves and becoming a great ballerina. Can’t do both. That’s all explained in detail.

Despite the film’s initial lack of success, Moira Shearer became a sensation and parlayed that success into six more movies. One of which, fans may remember, was director Michael Powell’s other masterpiece flop: Peeping Tom. You remember, the film that ruined his career. All he did here was almost bankrupt the studio with a film that would take forever to break even. Had it not been for film nerd Martin Scorsese, The Red Shoes may have been forgotten.

Fans may remember Anton Walbrook as the husband in the 1940 version of Gaslight. Born in Germany, he high-tailed it out when the Nazis moved in. It seems he was 50% Jewish is 100% gayish. Nazis weren’t his crowd. Many of the ballet company members were actual dancers and not actors. This lent a certain air of authenticity.

The Red Shoes is a fantastic looking film. Still very early in the Technicolor era, it was heralded as its best example. The photography, the cinematography, and the performances were spot on and dazzling to look at. The story parallels that of the Hans Christian Andersen’s fable of the same name, that was also performed on screen near the end of the second act. It is clear why audiences of the day did not take to it. It is unconventional in tone especially for 1948. But it is a wonderful film to watch and I will again. AMRU 4.

“You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never.”

Peeping Tom (1960)

Would-be film maker works the less glamorous side of cinema while exploring his personal project: filming women's dying expression of terror. Spoiler Alert! He's the killer!

Ok, not much of a spoiler. There isn't any question starting from the opening moments. Peeping Top is a complex, layered film. The script, acting, and dialog are exceptional. Director Michael Powell crafts a wonderful film. We follow Mark Lewis through his career, his attempt of a social life, and his extra curricular activities.

Released the same year as Hitchcock's Psycho, it's hard not to draw comparisons. Both movies follow a socially awkward antagonist (with parent issues). But while Psycho was heralded as Hitchcock's masterpiece, Peeping Tom ruined Powell's career.

The film's reception was harsh in the extreme, and it was a commercial failure. Exactly why mystifies me. Was it more graphic, more sexually explicit, more upsetting than Psycho? Maybe marginally. There are elements of pornography, voyeurism, and prostitution. Maybe Norman Bates was more palatable villain than Mark Lewis. Maybe we liked Lewis, sympathised with him just a little too much. It took a decade for critics to reevaluate the film.

Peeping Tom is a well crafted, innovative film, that would hold up to a second viewing. It is not to be skipped. AMRU 4.

"I don't trust a man who walks quietly."