![]() ![]() The convent serves as a place of retreat and solitude, but also as a lightning rod for the madness already present in the sisters. It depicts a group of nuns invited to start a school in the mountains of the Himalayas, who find the elements and their ignorance of local culture (captured by the abhorrent use of brownface) could make their stay difficult. The film won Academy Awards for art direction (Alfred Junge) and cinematography (legend Jack Cardiff). ![]() The backdrop that gave such detail and depth to the shots by Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell still hold up after 70 years. It is so convincing that audiences believed that Kerr actually rang the church bell in India. These murals, painted on glass to better control the colour and conditions for filming, create a haunting cliff face illusion that made it look like Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) towers over the world. Focusing on the medieval Russian monk who ended up painting some of the most influential icons to hang in eastern Orthodox churches, the film is gorgeously photographed and eerily mystical, factoring in influences of the pagan cultures and Tatar invasions that permeated 15th century Russia.īlack Narcissus(Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1947)Ĭolin Biggs: The matte paintings that serve as the backdrop for Black Narcissus are perhaps the most significant practical effects of Hollywood’s Golden Age. If you’re looking for key works in the realm of arthouse cinema, myself and That Shelf writers Pat Mullen, Rachel West, Colin Biggs and Barbara Goslawski have looked through the Channel’s permanent gallery and put together list and reasons for why you should start with these.īil Antoniou: The life of a Byzantine iconographer in monochrome for three and a half hours in black-and-white and Russian doesn’t sound like a party, but Andrei Tarkovsky’s grand work on the life of Andrei Rublev must be seen, recently restored to its original length. The treasure trove that the Criterion Collection presents is quite daunting, although its superb curation does help you at least browse easily through all its many offerings. New to the Criterion Channel and at a loss as to where to begin? ![]()
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