Rating: 
Summary: A STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT.
Review: BLACK NARCISSUS is a truly engrossing study of five Angelican nuns who are sent to establish a convent school and dispensary in the Himilayas. The film's theme is the eternal conflict between the spirit and the flesh, the sacred and the profane. It's a study in mood whose subtler nuances are conveyed by its beautiful and striking visual qualities. The fantastic, eerie House of Women with its empty birdcages, erotic wall paintings, and tattered curtains, deserted except for the continuously blowing wind and an old half-mad woman caretaker, who remembers its former splendours, is an appropriately bizarre setting for both the spiritual and secular aspects of the story. Above all, I think this is a film of great VISUAL distinction. If the painted backgrounds of the Himilayas are a bit distracting to today's sophisticated eyes, the dawn mists, masses of exotic flowers, red and gold sunsets and the white of the nun's habits contrasting with the deep blue skies should keep viewer's eyes in awe. The painted backgrounds are a minor flaw in a film so full of beautiful pictorial images. Academy Awards deservedly went to three areas: Best Art Direction, Best Set Decoration & Best Cinematography. The fine acting by Deborah Kerr as Sister Clodagh, Kathleen Byron as Sister Ruth and David Farrar as Dean adds to the distinction of this fascinating, intellectual film. Kerr is always quietly authoritive and believable as the ghost-haunted Sister Superior. Kathleen Byron is magnificently hysterical and overwrought: she makes Sister Ruth's descent into madness wholly credible.
Rating:
Summary: THOSE GOASTLY, CONSTANT HOWLING WINDS HIGH IN THE HIMALAYAS!
Review: MOVIE SYNOPSIS: You may never see a more beautiful motion picture as this grandly photographed production, in special Technicolor, of the J. Arthure Rank film, "BLACK NARCISSUS" ~ ~ at least as far as scenery is concerned. E very scene fills the eye with loveliness; the acting is tops! The story is interesting enough; it will show a group of nuns who journey to the Himalayan wilderness high, high above sea level with cold, moody winds all around. . .howling, howling, howling. . .day in day out! Trying to establish a health and educational center is a lot to hope for, but these few valiant women endure many ups and downs in their short stay on this windy, windy, lonely spot. MOVIE REVIEW: What I think of this grand adventure is very rewarding to me and I hope to share a little of this with you the readers. . .Under the supervision of Sister Cloagh, these handfull of nuns try to cope with nature, plumbing, natives, and hard-drinking ~ ~ local British agent ~ ~ Mr. Dean. Each nun has her own problem. There is a superbly played Sister Ruth by Kathleen Byron with a very emotional siduation which will not meet with the approval of the others. Sister Clodagh must deal with all these problems ~ ~ and well she will. The films story and those of the nuns are handled delicately, carefully avoiding sensationalism and the making of "heavy weather". A MUST-NOT-MISS FILM ! The performances are not to be questioned for they are A L L ever lasting and memorable ! Deborah Kerr - back then when it was filmed (perhaps in 1946 or 1947) was truly a shining star ! Retired and resting and doing as well as can be expected. We will always remember this grande dame. . .I know that I speak for myself and her loyal fans and her industry. . . !
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable, on many levels...
Review: The Criterion DVD edition of "Black Narcissus" brings out the most brilliant aspects of the film, a brightness and splendor that makes the drab Order of Mary nuns re-think a few things. The magnificent & exotic locale, high in the Himalayas, as well as clashing cultures trying to meld, make this a most absorbing experience. Okay, the nuns take a castle in the mountains to teach the locals. That's all I'll tell of the plot. The psychological experiences of each nun are vividly portrayed, as well as the intrusion of a local girl and an Indian prince. A very mystic atmosphere pervades, and the nuns start thinking mundane thoughts. Ah! The mystery of the mountains! It's a bit of a downer to find out that you're not seeing the Himalayas in their splendor; rather, all was filmed on a stage in England. The Oscar-winning art direction and cinematography are totally responsible for creating this wonderfully mysterious place. The Criterion version preserves the phenomenal photography, with colors clashing against each other, creating a visual display of the confusion those poor nuns were facing. Indeed, they all changed, in one way or another. Clear and crisp, you can see every facial wrinkle and every minute detail of costumes and jewelry. A fine achievement. Shadows against sunlight, and brilliant color...quite lovely. It's fun to see a post-adolescent Sabu, though here he plays a fancy young guy and looks uncomfortable, considering his greatest fame came wearing a much more comfortable loincloth. The rest of the acting is excellent, without exception. Deborah Kerr, in one of her first big roles, is commanding, as well as Kathleen Byron, Flora Robson, David Farrar, and an amazing performance by a 17-year old Jean Simmons, as a little Indian tart. I was most taken with the performance of May Hallatt as the crazy caretaker of the palace, who really put a lot in perspective. It's impressive that director Powell and writer Pressburger were in such close collaboration that they took equal credit for everything. As the liner notes tell, England was slow to recover after WW II, and watching the English nuns leave the most spiritual surroundings somehow suggest that the English had no business in India. They didn't understand their surroundings. Interesting. (David Lean's wonderful "A Passage to India" had a similar message). There is a cleansing rainstorm as the nuns leave, which suggests that life will go on, as usual, though the look on Farrar's face at the end is less than hopeful. My favorite moment is when May Hallatt finds out a bunch of "ladies" will be coming, expecting the old days of the harems. Imagine her surprise when she gets a bunch of nuns. If you haven't seen this film already, prepare yourself for a truly visual treat. Young filmmakers should see this, to learn about plot/character development, real conflict & resolution. I'm glad to own it.I
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable, on many levels...
Review: The Criterion DVD edition of "Black Narcissus" brings out the most brilliant aspects of the film, a brightness and splendor that makes the drab Order of Mary nuns re-think a few things. The magnificent & exotic locale, high in the Himalayas, as well as clashing cultures trying to meld, make this a most absorbing experience. Okay, the nuns take a castle in the mountains to teach the locals. That's all I'll tell of the plot. The psychological experiences of each nun are vividly portrayed, as well as the intrusion of a local girl and an Indian prince. A very mystic atmosphere pervades, and the nuns start thinking mundane thoughts. Ah! The mystery of the mountains! It's a bit of a downer to find out that you're not seeing the Himalayas in their splendor; rather, all was filmed on a stage in England. The Oscar-winning art direction and cinematography are totally responsible for creating this wonderfully mysterious place. The Criterion version preserves the phenomenal photography, with colors clashing against each other, creating a visual display of the confusion those poor nuns were facing. Indeed, they all changed, in one way or another. Clear and crisp, you can see every facial wrinkle and every minute detail of costumes and jewelry. A fine achievement. Shadows against sunlight, and brilliant color...quite lovely. It's fun to see a post-adolescent Sabu, though here he plays a fancy young guy and looks uncomfortable, considering his greatest fame came wearing a much more comfortable loincloth. The rest of the acting is excellent, without exception. Deborah Kerr, in one of her first big roles, is commanding, as well as Kathleen Byron, Flora Robson, David Farrar, and an amazing performance by a 17-year old Jean Simmons, as a little Indian tart. I was most taken with the performance of May Hallatt as the crazy caretaker of the palace, who really put a lot in perspective. It's impressive that director Powell and writer Pressburger were in such close collaboration that they took equal credit for everything. As the liner notes tell, England was slow to recover after WW II, and watching the English nuns leave the most spiritual surroundings somehow suggest that the English had no business in India. They didn't understand their surroundings. Interesting. (David Lean's wonderful "A Passage to India" had a similar message). There is a cleansing rainstorm as the nuns leave, which suggests that life will go on, as usual, though the look on Farrar's face at the end is less than hopeful. My favorite moment is when May Hallatt finds out a bunch of "ladies" will be coming, expecting the old days of the harems. Imagine her surprise when she gets a bunch of nuns. If you haven't seen this film already, prepare yourself for a truly visual treat. Young filmmakers should see this, to learn about plot/character development, real conflict & resolution. I'm glad to own it.I
Rating:
Summary: THOSE GOASTLY, CONSTANT HOWLING WINDS HIGH IN THE HIMALAYAS!
Review: MOVIE SYNOPSIS: You may never see a more beautiful motion picture as this grandly photographed production, in special Technicolor, of the J. Arthure Rank film, "BLACK NARCISSUS" ~ ~ at least as far as scenery is concerned. E very scene fills the eye with loveliness; the acting is tops! The story is interesting enough; it will show a group of nuns who journey to the Himalayan wilderness high, high above sea level with cold, moody winds all around. . .howling, howling, howling. . .day in day out! Trying to establish a health and educational center is a lot to hope for, but these few valiant women endure many ups and downs in their short stay on this windy, windy, lonely spot. MOVIE REVIEW: What I think of this grand adventure is very rewarding to me and I hope to share a little of this with you the readers. . .Under the supervision of Sister Cloagh, these handfull of nuns try to cope with nature, plumbing, natives, and hard-drinking ~ ~ local British agent ~ ~ Mr. Dean. Each nun has her own problem. There is a superbly played Sister Ruth by Kathleen Byron with a very emotional siduation which will not meet with the approval of the others. Sister Clodagh must deal with all these problems ~ ~ and well she will. The films story and those of the nuns are handled delicately, carefully avoiding sensationalism and the making of "heavy weather". A MUST-NOT-MISS FILM ! The performances are not to be questioned for they are A L L ever lasting and memorable ! Deborah Kerr - back then when it was filmed (perhaps in 1946 or 1947) was truly a shining star ! Retired and resting and doing as well as can be expected. We will always remember this grande dame. . .I know that I speak for myself and her loyal fans and her industry. . . !
Rating:
Summary: Eroticism runs riot in a nunnery
Review: Not only is this the most erotic British film ever made... it is one of the most erotic films ever and in terms of understanding what IS erotic, is a pre-eminent example of 'less is more'. It has been remarked about some famous religious art works that there appears to be a conjunction between the face in a moment of religious ecstasy and the face in a moment of sexual ecstasy. Mr Powell and Mr Pressburger understood that entirely and made a feast of it. Just to consider the use of red: blushing nuns, red flowers, blood on a white habit, cherry lipstick, magenta dress, ruby shoes, a maroon compact... Combine this with the pulsating drums, everpresent wind, the oiled bodies of the "natives" and images of a booted foot hovering near the prostrate body of one of the nuns and you have a film of extraordinary sexual power. Never have the bare legs of a male, from just above the knees down, looked so provocative as they do in this film. But this is just part of this magnificent work. To own.
Rating:
Summary: One of Powell and Pressburger's best.
Review: Visualy perfect, colorful, brilliantly directed and acted. My favorite Criterion Collection DVD. Only gets better with each viewing. One of the most beautiful DVD transfers I have ever seen. Only equaled in it's use of color by Micheal Powell and Emeric Pressburger's other color films like THE RED SHOES. A must have.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible Movie Regardless of Cinematography
Review: A lot of the people here give this movie glowing reviews, not in small part due to the cinematography. Basically, who cares if the filmwork is pretty if the movie stinks? The biggest problem with the movie is that EVERYONE behaves irrationally and there's no reason given. You go through the movie scratching your head and wondering when they're going to get around to explaining WHY these people are doing what they're doing. They never do. Plus, for nuns running a convent, there sure seems to be a lack of any sense of God or religion in their lives (i.e., there's none). I also wasn't impressed with the technical aspects of the movie. Most of the actors stink (it reminded me of an old Sinbad movie), there doesn't seem to be any plot or theme, and whoever wrote this has some really odd ideas of the climate at 8,000 or 9,000 feet in the Himalayas. The "climate" stuff is especially jarring. Most of the time, everyone's on a rocky crag with wind whistling around. Yet, the leading man runs around in shorts throughout. Then there are scenes where it looks like a lush, lowland, tropical garden. At one point, one of the characters runs off and is suddenly in the midst of a fog-enshrouded, moist bamboo jungle. There's also the beating jungle drums and the tropical birds cawwing in the background. I was wondering if Tarzan was going to swing in from darkest Africa. In short, I can't think of a single redeeming quality in this movie. Stay far away from it.
Rating: 
Summary: Rent it for it's Camp Value
Review: Being a huge fan of the artistic team's Stairway to Heaven (AKA A Matter of Life and Death) and The Red Shoes, and after reading the glowing reviews in regards to this film, my expectations were very high going in. Unfortunately, I felt that I had been let down. Sure, the cinematography is brilliant. A technicolor wonderland, lush and vivid. But beyond the visual feast lies a story that, by today's standards, is just a tad Pythonesque. Hot house nuns with barely suppressed libidos, cloistered in a Himalayan potentate's former love palace, with appropriately erotic artwork festooned upon every wall. A British agent, Mr. Dean (David Farrar) showing up in short shorts and sometimes bare chested, never mind the fact that the convent/school is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas at 8000 ft. with the wind constantly ripping through the windows (which no one seems able to close). A subplot involving a young Jean Simmons made up to like a tartish Bengali dancing girl thrown into the mix to provide a bit more sexual tension (a screenwriter's rip off of Bessy Watty from The Corn is Green, produced a year previous to this film and still fresh in viewers' minds). Add to this the fact that, when habited, Kathleen Byron looks remarkably similar to Paul Rubens (Pee Wee Herman), and you have the makings of a camp classic. In all honesty, if you want a film with an interesting script as well as sexually frustrated nuns, I would highly recommend that you purchase a copy of Ken Russell's The Devils. That film has held up well over time and has a much better pedigree (adapted from Aldous Huxley's The Devils of Loudon)to back it up. Despite the rave reviews you may hear about this Archer production, it's really just 100 minutes of silliness. BEK
Rating:
Summary: A Tour-De-Force of Cinematic Genius!
Review: The first time I saw Black Narcissus, I was amazed by the use of light and color. That and the EXTREMELY good use of dialog and atmosphere to convey thoughts to you. Several times while watching this movie it was the unsaid lines, what I knew the characters were THINKING that had a strong impact. Upon viewing documentaries about the making of this movie masterpiece, I came to further realize it also had some of the finest special effects you will ever see. Even though there are blue-screens and miniatures used, and almost the entire movie was shot on a sound stage (that's right, those clouds adn mountains are PAINTED backgrounds), you would NEVER guess it without being told. I was shocked when I found out. After seeing this movie again recently, I must confess that this movie is a shing example of what great acting is all about. At the start of the movie, everyone is very much one kind of person. There's a great scene where almost all the nuns are in one room, and each one has something to say. One nun is sweet and good natured, another strong and sensible, their leader is cold as an iceberg and totally in control. And of course, one of the nuns is not quite right. Her comments are negative, sharp, and harsh (to say nothing of erratic). As the environment, isolation, and ATMOSPHERE of their surrounds start to get to them, you'll see the strong surface layer (the mask if you will) that each character carefully displays break down, leaving only their raw emotional core. AMAZING. And speaking of amazing... As I said before, the first time I saw this movie, I was completely blown away by the use of color. But nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of what you see on the DVD. Truly it has to be seen to be believed. The crystal-clear, super-vibrant totally unbelievable color on this DVD truly has to be seen to be appreciated. Do NOT see this movie on VHS, see it on DVD. Several keys scenes would lose much of their power. In particular, the scenes of incredible drama and suspense to be found at the end of the movie come to mind. When one of the characters is getting paler and paler (to the point where the scene almost looks black and white), and then you see her in a BRIGHT RED DRESS wearing BRIGHT RED LIPSTICK, the use of color is positively SHOCKING. What can I say? Every film made by the unstoppable dream team who called themselves "The Archers" is great stuff. But this movie is beyond great. It is the single greatest example of use of light and color I have ever seen in a movie. To give it four stars would be a disturbing insult. It deserves six at least.
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