Black Narcissus

A sumptuous stunner of studio-set style and seething, repressed sexuality, Black Narcissus is one of the triumphs of British cinema, and one of the great masterpieces in the Powell and Pressburger canon; Jack Cardiff’s amazing colour cinematography, winner of a much-deserved 1947 Oscar, plays no small part in its glories. Five Anglican nuns attempt to establish a mission in a one-time bordello in the remote Himalayas, but find their faith sorely tested by climate, culture clash, and carnal passion. The superb cast is headed by Deborah Kerr as the virtuous Mother Superior; David Farrar as a cynical, sensual British agent; Sabu as the local Indian potentate; and Kathleen Byron as a nun unhinged by desire. The film’s flesh-versus-spirit battle unfolds in a deliriously exotic, studio-set India that recalls the lavish stylizations of the Josef von Sternberg/Marlene Dietrich films of the 1930s. Alfred Junge’s breathtaking sets also earned an Oscar. “One of the last masterpieces of studio-based art direction” (Elliott Stein, Village Voice). “A marvellous evocation of hysteria and repression . . . One of the few genuinely erotic films ever to emerge from these sexually staid isles” (Time Out). “One of the most visually beautiful films ever made” (James Monaco). Colour, 35mm. 100 mins.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
SPOTLIGHT ON JACK CARDIFF! Don't miss the Exclusive First Run of acclaimed documentary Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff, playing in tandem with two of the cinematographer's other supreme achievements: The Red Shoes and Pandora and the Flying Dutchman.