Black Narcissus

Veiled Deborah Karr as a walking commercial for the whitening power of Persil and pony rider David Farrar in a hat and tropical khaki drill shorts (how could something so tasteless ever have occurred to anybody), painted in Technicolor, on a par with the work of the Dutch Masters. All this in the shape of an exotic melodrama about suppressed desire and holy duties conducted in a former harem. Exactly as expected, precise in Powell-Pressburger style. Well, all apart from the shorts which are prime candidates for the most horrific costume in cinema history. (02/07/2013)

I have no love for Technicolor. I was intrigued by the theme, but the naive presentation of the Himalayas together with the absurd ending didn't convince me that Deborah Kerr had any meaning for me other than as Anna Leonowens. ;) In addition, making a color film full of pastel colors and not overdoing it has been possible since at least The Garden of Allah (1936). However, I do understand that a big film with the Indian boy Sabu called for a different approach. (01/01/2011)

I don’t know why, but I had set astronomically high expectations for this film, which it probably could never reach, but it ended up delivering something completely different than what I had hoped. It’s a slow psychological anabasis extremely free from the truly oppressive atmosphere that calls to be set in a remote mountain monastery. The oft-mentioned cinematography of Jack Cardiff is beautiful, of course, and the shot by the bell is one of the best ever made, but that eye-candy didn’t let me get into the surprisingly tender and sad skeleton of a story – what bothered me the most was the static theatrical style and I didn’t feel the suppressed emotions that were supposed to be key. I would certainly love to see it on the big screen in a dark theatre, but for the time being, what prevails is lack of understanding and an ironic smirk at the menacing circus costume of the otherwise charismatic David Farrar. 70% (06/30/2020)

Powell and Pressburger were simply film geniuses of their time, and it is almost unbelievable that the two of them succeeded for so long and together made so many successful films. There aren't many similar duos that still have the power for their films to mostly be truly authored. And it doesn't matter if it's satire, criticism, drama, or a fantastic story, they simply could do it all. "Black Narcissus" is a beautiful example of a kind and cruel story with great characters. (10/03/2014)