An Appreciation – Black Narcissus

The eroticism combined with an open environment of the exotic stagger Sister Clodagh and the other nuns. Almost immediately, their resolve is shaken. Sister Clodagh begins to have fantasies of her past life, and others begin to act irrationally. One nun, instead of planting crops for food, plants colorful flowers instead. Another nun asks to be directly transferred to another convent, and one disobeys a direct medical order, leading to tragedy for one of the village people. But most affected of all is Sister Ruth, played with fiery intensity by Kathleen Byron. If Sister Clodagh represents one side of the nun’s dedication to their work, Sister Ruth represents the other that is not as strong—they are opposing sides of the same coin. From the very beginning of the film, Sister Ruth shows signs of trouble. Some of the nuns dismiss it as mere illness, but as the film continues we find that it is much more than that. Sister Ruth is much like Sister Clodagh; they both are victims to the same kind of temptations and desires that spring to life inside the palace, and while Sister Clodagh may not admit it, they are both obviously attracted to Mr. Dean. The difference is that Sister Ruth has fallen into her temptations and given herself to her desires, while Sister Clodagh still manages to prevent herself from tipping off the edge.

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While Sister Clodagh manages to maintain her discipline, Sister Ruth gives way to her repressed feelings. The eventual clash of the two is sparked—not surprisingly—by Mr. Dean. If he is the center of the erotic tension of the film, then his outright rejection of Sister Ruth’s advances and his admiration and respect for Sister Clodagh eventually lead to Sister Ruth’s inevitable descent into madness. The best sequence of the movie, the part that elevates this to being a great film, is the last act, where Sister Clodagh and Sister Ruth clash with each other on top of the mountain. There’s a great twist in the tone and style heading towards the climax. Throughout the first two thirds of the film, there is a kind of bright, shiny feel to the aesthetics of the world, and while there is a darker undertone, the surface seems to be alive and filled with much energy. When Sister Ruth finally has her breakdown, there’s a tonal shift that becomes much more menacing. Shadows appear more noticeable, the lighting becomes sparse, and darkness takes up much of the frame. The expressionistic approach in the scenes leading up to the climax is a representation of Sister Ruth’s psychological state. In a way, it becomes somewhat of a horror movie, with Sister Ruth taking the part of the dangerous force threatening the very life of Sister Clodagh.

The film would win two Academy Awards, one for Best Art Direction (Color) and one for Best Cinematography (Color). Besides Powell and Pressburger, cinematographer Jack Cardiff deserves as much recognition for the astonishing visuals that are present throughout the entire film. It’s kind of amazing to realize that the entirety of the movie was never shot on location, but rather in and around Pinewood Studios in England. The look of the film is magnificent. From the beautiful matte paintings that create the snowy mountains of the Himalayas to the trick photography manipulating the light and the use of the Technicolor process that gave the film sparkling color and beauty, the visuals are truly something to behold. Of course, these elements are clearly obvious to anyone that watches it—we know that the mountains aren’t really there and we know that Sister Ruth and Sister Clodagh were never actually dangling from that high ridge. What makes these elements work is that they aren’t meant to look real, but rather to feel real. The movie is all about dreams and wishes, and the kind of artificiality that Cardiff and the rest of the art department gave it contributed to the dream-like world that they present.

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While there are plenty of elements that make this film truly special, it is not without its fair share of criticisms. One in particular is the depiction of the native people. It goes without saying that the clothes they wear and the customs they practice are exaggerated past the point of believability. The way I see it, the people here are just as artificial as the world that has been created. From the architecture to the geography to the very inhabitants of the land, everything is a part of the dream world that the nuns have entered. It’s clear that this is not an accurate place, but more of a representation of the mindset of the nunnery. The toughest element to accept is that of Kanchi. Seeing Jean Simmons with her hair colored black and her skin altered to have a darker complexion to play the native woman may be difficult for some people to accept, and that is completely understandable. I doubt that the “dance” Simmons performs is similar to any kind of dance performed anywhere else in the world, and the fact that she is a Caucasian woman playing another ethnicity is only more apparent being that her love interest (The Young General) was played by an actual Indian man (Sabu). The only thing I could possibly say about this is that her performance was not meant to be a demeaning caricature, but rather a symbol playing a part of the overall theme of the film. Luckily, her role isn’t incredibly large in the grand scheme of it, and doesn’t approach the blatant racism of say, Mickey Rooney’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961).

In the end though, what makes Black Narcissus great overshadows the elements that may not work as well. The breathtaking cinematography, the underlying currents of eroticism and sex behind the veil of proper order, and the exceptional final passages make this a movie that can be seen and enjoyed multiple times over. What makes the film memorable is the many layers that run beneath its surface, both good and bad, waiting to be discovered and analyzed. It’s one of those movies that always seems to give something different with each visit, something that may not have been noticed at first watch and is waiting to reward those who return to it. The focus on character and the motivations that nearly drive all of them to tragedy is what is at stake in this movie, and seeing how each person unfolds is both surprising and, at times, scary. The people here can’t help to feel and want like normal human beings, regardless of how much they try to fight against it.

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Allen is a moviegoer based out of Seattle, Washington. His hobbies include dancing, playing the guitar, and, of course, watching movies.

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