Black Narcissus Film Review

Space Oddities Film Reviews

Black Narcissus

(1947)

By Kimberley Davis

Premiering in 1947, Black Narcissus was perceived as a controversy in film. Directed by Michael Powell and Emerick Pressburger, this feature was the shake up needed to steer away from overused storylines. Traditionally,  matinees made hulking heroes and fawning starlets forefront, mixed with danger and a unnecessary romance at principle momnets. Black Narcissus differs by delving into the realm of psychology, and becoming shunned. This flick explores the ideologues of female desires, the restrictions in faith and the symbolism of exoticism. In the 1940’s, women were starting to make foundations in a man’s world. World War 2 saw capable man leaving their positions in England to fight, and in turn, their duties fell to women. Realisation began to sink in that females (once seen as incapable and fragile) where more then competent to run a country, whilst keeping society running without the crushing male overrule.  Along these lines, it was beginning to come to light that women want the same respect as men. But, even under this new evolving structure, the ideas of lasses have a sexual desire was strictly fobbidden. It was treated almost like a sickness, where doctors would prescribe “therapies” to solve this supposed issue.  At the same time, the fall of the “Empire” was taking foot, losing the hold over countries such as India. Black Narcissus brings all these shocking factors to light and causes the directors to be labelled (until the 1960’s) as extremist and scaremongers.

Centering on a group of Anglican Nuns, we start at a monertary where Sister Clodogh is given an order to take a small group of nuns to the Himalayas to open a convent called “St. Faith”. The building in question is a shutdown brothel, when they arrive,  they set to work creating the school and hospital to civilse the local “savages”. Set high in the mountain, the Sister come across "Mr. Dean". A man who from the start opposed to the Convent, warning them that Monks once fled this building. When beginning to settle, the sisters come across many barriers such as language (where they basically employ a 6 year old to teach for them due to his Duolistics) and culture, finding the local holy man disturbing. In the province, they struggle to cope with the new altitude, and the demanding, unrelenting environment. Dean and Sister Mcdogh clash on many occasions, even turning up drunk for a Christmas service and disgracing himself. As time passes aliements begin to fall on the sisters, and the isolatation beat their psyches, which is contributed by the continous drumming. Dean decides to bring a young orhan woman called Kanchi to the convent, Sister Mcdogh is reluctant to take her, but with some sway see her in. All the while, they take the prince in as a student (against their scared rules). Kanchi is infatuated, constantly hounding and following him, eventually sudcing him. Over time, the harsh Sister Ruth begins to change. She slowly decends into a red hysteria, becoming lustfully possessive of Dean. Sister Ruth in a delirous haze renounces her vows, racing to Dean with he Sisters in tow. Being rejected, Ruth returns to the convent enraged with Sister McDogh. Spotting her ringing the bell, she tries to throw McDogh off the bell platform, only to succeed in killing herself. Following these tragic events the covent return home, only for Sister Mcdogh and Dean to realise how they feel about eacthother but continue to part ways.

The plot works on several different psychological factors, the first being the use of bright technicolour’s to channel emotion. It channels the strong bold pigments of blues and green to express strength, and the intensities of lust from Sister Ruth comes in shocking red and pink dashed across the screen. These colours help us to relate, and understand on a emotional bases how the characters are struggling and changing. Also there is a lot of Othernesss noted in the story line, these being the subjects of colonisation and female erotism. Our sisters are sent to a supposed backwards place, to teach the natives how to be civil. the letter that dean had written even portraying them as simple (this is a form of colonialism, separating the supposed superior  to the savage).  Also embedded on a deeper level, is the religious symbolism of women chastising. Being nuns, sex is not an option and all temptation should be expelled. Suddenly this swaggering man walks in and causes this sexual hysteria in Sister Ruth, the delirium intensified but a fading screen of red. The sexual urge in our poor women is seen a sickness, they never approach that her hysteria may have been fron a actual physical illness. When Ruth approaches our male lead in this haze, she becomes so angered by rejection, her anger turns to jealously. The application of red lipstick is a overwhelming signal of power and eroticism, meaning to sudece her target. When being chased by of sisters, we get a sense that her feelings are forbidden, and should not be persued.

“Black Narcissus is, in many ways, radical for British cinema in the 1940s because of this daring exploration of the ‘other’ – the otherness of female desire (if only because of its lack of previous presentation) and the otherness of the world outside of western society”

Adam Scovell - BFI

As a cast we have quite a array of characters, some more profound then others. Sister McDogh is head strong and fierce, but she often fantasies about a previous period in her life though flashback. Though these we get a sense of unsureness, a longing for a friend who left her for his own selfish wants. Turning to become nun almost seems like a lash out from rejection. When being introduced to Dean's brash persona, she is automatically guarded. However, her defensivness may be due to the pain of losing someone so similar. As the film transpires, there are signs of wear evident on all the sisters, slowly they become eroded by the weird atsompher of the ex whore house. In the case of Sister Ruth, from the start she is colder then the others. She is quick to be dismissive and cruel, but quickly becomes infatuated with Dean though the few small words of kindness he offers, sending her delirious. Her coldness may come from being treated so badly before, latching to the first signs of comfort. This "traits"maybe how a womens desires where perceived in the 1940’s, having these sexual desires running wild will bring disaster. Mr Dean is a typical swaggering man of this period, holding this matinee personality. He is brutish and smug, seeshimself as a “man thats seen it all”. However if we into possible religious factors, Dean could be the embodiment of sin. Not shy in the taking of pleasure (even boasting about it), he often gloats about how he enjoys life so much more.

“This emotional conflict is one of many that eats away at nearly all of the film's characters. Clodagh's relationship with Dean reminds her of her ill-fated longings for a former friend. Ruth, who was emotionally disturbed even before joining the expedition seems to become completely unhinged once Dean shows her an act of kindness which she might have been seeking for so long”

Michael Mirasol – eburt.com

The environment is a mix between the tropical and towering heights.The sisters are often seen transpiring, but this may be due to the altitude (causing lack of oxygen) rather then from thr heat. Full of powerful colours, the set plays with perspective so well to give a sense of how vast Black Narcissus world is. On the bell platform, the swallowing fall of the cliffe is overbearing, giving the powerful isolate emotion. The walls of the “covent” change contiously, becoming more claustrophobic and the suggestive sexual symbolism become more evident. The colours change from a strong and claming cream and blues, and striking reds and oranges, telling us the deterioration the nuns psyche.

 “The claustrophobic art direction by Alfred Junge similarly, though more violently, enforces the environment’s boundaries and brings the runaway bodily needs of the sisters into sharper focus”

Josepth Jon Lanither – slantmagazine.com

This film a required taste. Its long, don’t really have much of a point and the climax is not that big. It starts to build, and then falls almost as quickly as Sister Ruth does off the bell platform. It’s a plethora of psychological issues, the main being that of women’s sexual needs. Its shows them as hysterical harlets that are driven to a sexual frenzy over a man’s presence, making out that woman's needs are dangerous. It was seen as shocking, controveral and distubing, the directors being shunned for making this feature. Also, there is massive issues of Colonisation in this feature, making it seem that those of a different culture are uncivilised. This film is much too pretentious, and not that riveting, even to the point of finding myself becoming bored.  

Bibliography

·      -  Scovell, A. (2017). Black Narcissus at 70: exoticism and eroticism in Powell & Pressburger’s masterpiece. [online] British Film Institute. Available at: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/black-narcissus-exoticism-eroticism-powell-pressburger [Accessed 19 Nov. 2019].

·       - Mirasol, M. (2010). [online] Rogerebert.com. Available at: https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/black-narcissus-which-electrified-scorsese [Accessed 19 Nov. 2019].

·       - Lanthier, J. (2012). Review: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s Black Narcissus. [online] Slantmagazine.com. Available at: https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/black-narcissus/ [Accessed 19 Nov. 2019].

Image Bibliography

 - Scovell, A. (2017). Black Narcissus at 70: exoticism and eroticism in Powell & Pressburger’s masterpiece. [online] British Film Institute. Available at: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/black-narcissus-exoticism-eroticism-powell-pressburger [Accessed 19 Nov. 2019].

- Black Narcissus (1947) Movie Review – MRQE. (n.d.). Black Narcissus. [online] Available at: https://www.mrqe.com/movie_reviews/black-narcissus-m100062247 [Accessed 19 Nov. 2019].

- Pbs.twimg.com. (n.d.). [online] Available at: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dl52tPIV4AAC_fi.jpg [Accessed 19 Nov. 2019].