Black Narcissus
Black Narcissus • 1h 41m
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger • 1947 • United Kingdom
Starring Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar
This explosive work about the conflict between the spirit and the flesh is the epitome of the sensuous style of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. A group of nuns—played by some of Britain’s finest actresses, including Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, and Flora Robson—struggle to establish a convent in the Himalayas, while isolation, extreme weather, altitude, and culture clashes all conspire to drive the well-intentioned missionaries mad. A darkly grand film that won Oscars for Alfred Junge's art direction and Jack Cardiff's cinematography, BLACK NARCISSUS is one of the greatest achievements by two of cinema’s true visionaries.
Up Next in Black Narcissus
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BLACK NARCISSUS Commentary
Recorded in 1988, this commentary features director and coproducer Michael Powell and his longtime friend and admirer Martin Scorsese. Powell reminisces about the production and his unique relationship with his filmmaking partner, Emeric Pressburger, while Scorsese provides analysis and discusses...
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Edgar Wright on BLACK NARCISSUS
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Bertrand Tavernier on BLACK NARCISSUS
French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier has long championed the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and he was close to Powell for many years. This introduction to BLACK NARCISSUS was recorded for the Institut Lumière in 2006.
