Directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda, and Michael Powell and written by Hurst and E.V.H. Emmett from a story by Ian Dalrympe, The Lion Has Wings is a British documentary-propaganda film made just after the start of World War II. It’s a film that showcases what Britain has to do in light of the recent events as they had to prepare for war. Starring Merle Oberon, Ralph Richardson, June Duprez and narration by E.V.H. Emmett. The Lion Has Wings is a compelling and engaging film from producer Alexander Korda.
Released two months after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany that officially started World War II, the film is a call to arms to remind Britons on what is at stake for the war. It’s a film that is part-drama and part-documentary under the supervision of producer Alexander Korda as is one of four directors in this project that is ensure the British public about the life they were having just after the Great Depression and before the war and why they must fight to keep all of those things despite the claims in the narration that poverty and unemployment is being eradicated. Through the works of Korda, Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, and Michael Powell, the direction is largely straightforward in the way it dramatizes certain events and ideas of what officers and others go through with Ralph Richardson playing the role of a top officer and Merle Oberon as his wife.
Much of the dramatic elements of the film with this story of the officer, his wife, and many others including a dramatic re-creation of an early aerial battle have the directors use simple compositions of close-ups and medium shots to play into this idea of realism that is a little far-fetched in some spots of the film. Notably in some of the documentary footage as it play into how Britain could defeat the Germans and such even though some of the strategy they use including a dramatic recreation of an attempted invasion by the Spanish armada from the past was able to be thwarted by villagers from a scene from the film Fire Over England by William K. Howard and produced by Korda. The usage of that film as well as footage from Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will does play into this idea of what Britain is trying to show itself against the Germans in their militaristic persona. Even as the film showcases what Britain must do and make claims that they have the best weapons in the world though they were ready for the Germans despite what they would face. Overall, Korda crafts an entertaining film that helps Britons get ready for war.
Cinematographers Osmond Borradaile, Bernard Browne, and Harry Stradling Sr. do excellent work with the film’s black-and-white photography as well as maintain that blur of dramatization and reality into the footage they capture including scenes of the Royal Air Force in the air. Editors Henry Cornelius, Charles Frend, Hugh Stewart, and Derek N. Twist do terrific work with the editing with its stylish usage of transition wipes as well as gathering all sorts of stock footage and such to play into the dangers the British forces might deal with. Art director Vincent Korda does fantastic work with the look of the home of one of the officers as well as a base where they watch over an attempted bombing invasion from the Germans. The sound work of John W. Mitchell and A.W. Watkins is superb for its sound effects as well as how engines sound and the sounds of factories. The film’s music by Richard Addinsell is brilliant for its musical score as it play into the beauty of Britain with some heavy themes that play into the serious elements of the film.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth I from Fire Over England and June Duprez as a young woman who is a friend of the officer’s wife. Ralph Richardson and Merle Oberon are amazing in their respective roles as Wing Commander Richardson and Mrs. Richardson with the former being a RAF officer trying to strategize things with the latter being the wife at home who would also be a nurse.
The Lion Has Wings is a marvelous film from producer Alexander Korda as well as co-directors Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, and Michael Powell. While it is a film of its time and is a propaganda film for Britain in the early days of World War II. It is still a fascinating piece of history that explores what the British government and film industry wanted to show to its people and what is at stake despite the lack of realism they would endure later on in the war. In the end, The Lion Has Wings is a remarkable film from producer Alexander Korda.
© thevoid99 2019
Produced by Alexander Korda, directed by Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, and Tim Whelan, and screenplay Miles Malleson from a story by Miklos Rozsa and an idea by Lajos Biro, The Thief of Bagdad is the story of a prince who teams up with a scrappy thief in reclaiming his throne after being casted out. The film is a fantasy film that is told in a reflective manner as a prince tries to deal with his situation. Starring Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez, John Justin, Rex Ingram, Miles Malleson, and Morton Selten. The Thief of Bagdad is a glorious and enchanting film from Alexander Korda.
The film is partially a reflective story of a blind prince who had been dethroned by a royal official in the Grand Vizier named Jaffar (Conrad Veidt) as he is aided by a young thief who wants to help him realizing the severity of the situation. It’s a fantasy-adventure film that follows two men who find themselves in a situation where the prince goes blind and the thief briefly turns into a dog all due to this man trying to win over a princess who is interested in this prince. Miles Malleson’s screenplay does start off as a back-and-forth narrative in which Prince Ahmad (John Justin) is seen blind begging for anything with a dog at his side where he would tell his story to a group of women including a servant of Jaffar in Hamila (Mary Morris) who realizes what is going on. The first act play into Prince Ahmad becoming concerned with his rule as he is aware of his people not being enamored with them.
Taking Jaffar’s advice by pretending to be a normal citizen, it proves to be a set-u when Prince Ahmad is sent to a dungeon where he meets the thief Abu (Sabu). Abu is a common thief that knows how to get by as he helps Prince Ahmad knowing that he’s really an honorable man. The two would embark on a journey to reclaim Prince Ahmad’s throne but also pursue the elusive princess (June Duprez) whose father is obsessed with mechanical toys which Jaffar would use to win his approval. The film’s third act is about Abu and a journey he would take when he and Prince Ahmad become lost during their pursuit of the princess and Jaffar. Even as he would find a mysterious object that would give him the chance to prove his worth as a person.
The film’s direction under the supervision of its producer Alexander Korda who would do un-credited work along with his brother Zoltan and art director William Cameron Menzies who would both be un-credited for their contributions to the film’s production. Much of the work would be under the direction of Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, and Tim Whelan with Powell providing much of the material that was filmed mainly on studio sets with some desert scenes shot on Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, and Bryce Canyon in the U.S. While there are some wide shots for the large fantasy scenes and to get a scope of the palaces, it’s the usage of close-ups and medium shots in the way the characters interact or in their encounter with certain locations. The film do play into this idea of fantasy while Bagdad is presented as something otherworldly despite its sense of repression towards its people which Prince Ahmad learns and wants to rectify. The scenes in the third act where Abu meets a genie (Rex Ingram) would be a showcase for some primitive yet effective visual effects as it add to the sense of adventure that Abu would encounter. Even as the film’s climax is filled with a lot of visual splendor in its compositions as well as maintaining a sense of adventure. Overall, Korda creates a majestic and exhilarating film about a thief helping a blind prince reclaim his throne.
Cinematographer George Perinal, with Technicolor direction by Natalie Kalmus, does incredible work in the cinematography with its gorgeous Technicolor approach to the visuals including some scenes set at night as well as the attention to detail in the look of the colors. Editor Charles Crichton does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the action. Production designer Vincent Korda, with scenic background by Percy Day, does brilliant work with the set design in creating lavish sets that would play into the colors of the backgrounds.
Costume designers Oliver Messel, John Armstrong, and Marcel Vertes do amazing work with the costumes as it play into the element of fantasy and in the time period as it help play into the vibrancy of the film’s look. The special effects work of Lawrence Butler does fantastic work with the visual effects as primitive as it was in the late 1930s/early 1940s as it have some wonderment in the effects as it relates to the genie flying as well as the mechanical toys in the film. The sound work of A.W. Watkins does superb work with the sound in the scenes with crowds as well as the sound effects of the toys that Jaffar brings to the sultan. The film’s music by Miklos Rozsa is phenomenal for its bombastic and heavy orchestral score filled with loud drums and percussions and sweeping orchestral arrangements as it is one of the film’s major highlights.
The film’s marvelous cast feature some notable small roles from Adelaide Hall as a singer for the princess, Allan Jeayes as a storyteller talking about the need for a rebellion, Mary Morris in a dual role as Jaffar’s agent Halima and a mechanical toy known as the Silver Maid, and Morton Selten as an old king that Abu would meet late in the film. Miles Malleson is terrific as the Sultan of Basra as a man that is obsessed with mechanical toys as he is swayed by Jaffar in getting a toy in exchange for Jaffar to have the princess. Rex Ingram is superb as the genie as a man who had been inside a lamp for 2000 years as he has issues with humans but is willing to grant Abu three wishes for freeing him. John Justin is fantastic as Prince Ahmad as a young man trying to understand the world he’s ruling and its people only to be usurped by Jaffar and become humble over his situation in his pursuit to reclaim his throne and win the heart of the princess.
June Duprez is excellent as the princess as a woman of such beauty that it is forbidden for regular people to see her as she is pursued by Prince Ahmad whom she sees as a man that is right for her while not wanting to be with Jaffar. Sabu is brilliant as Abu as this young thief that meets Prince Ahmad and wants to help while taking on a journey of his own where his enthusiasm and courage is key to Sabu’s performance. Finally, there’s Conrad Veidt in an amazing performance as the Grand Vizier Jaffar as a mysterious sorcerer who is intent on ruling Bagdad and other places while proving to be powerful and cunning as it’s just Veidt bringing a lot of charisma to a villainous character.
The Thief of Bagdad is a spectacular film from producer Alexander Korda. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a sumptuous music score, and an engaging story of adventure and fantasy. It is truly one of the finest films of the fantasy genre as well as a visual marvel that is stunning in its imagery and sense of imagination. In the end, The Thief of Bagdad is a phenomenal film from Alexander Korda.
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Nigel Balchin, The Small Back Room is the story of a research scientist who is asked to take part in a research involving a new German weapon during World War II. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the film is an exploration of a man dealing with his role in the world as well as succumbing towards self-destructive behavior that would trouble his relationship with his secretary. Starring David Farrar, Kathleen Byron, Jack Hawkins, Robert Morley, Michael Gough, and Cyril Cusack. The Small Back Room is a gripping yet evocative film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
It’s 1943 during World War II as the film revolves a bomb expert/research scientist who is asked to do work for the government on a series of new bombs created by the Germans which had killed a few people including children. It’s a film that follows this man who is reluctant in doing the job as he finds himself dealing with military and government officials who don’t do enough to help him while he is becoming troubled by his dependence on alcohol which is troubling his own relationship with his secretary whom he’s in a romantic relationship with. The film’s screenplay by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger wouldn’t just follow the struggle that Sammy Rice (David Farrar) is coping with both at work and at home but also the expectations and demands from his bosses at work in trying to understand what this bomb has done. Rice’s secretary/girlfriend Susan (Kathleen Byron) is aware of the chaos that is looming upon him but also his lack of ambition to do more as he’s hampered by a bad leg as well as his growing alcoholism that would eventually take its toll.
The direction of Powell and Pressburger is visually entrancing not just for some of noir-like visual style but also in the fact that it’s a story that is grounded in reality. Shot largely at various sound stages in Britain with some of the exterior locations are shot in and around Britain including the famous site of Stonehenge. The direction for some of the exterior scenes are simple in terms of the few wide shots in the film as much of it have Powell and Pressburger utilize medium shots and close-ups for many of the film’s interior scenes including the scenes at Rice’s lab with his staff at it has this claustrophobic feel for how small it is compared to a conference room during the film’s second half. The scenes at a nightclub where Rice and Susan go to are quite spacious but also intimate where it also has these unique compositions in where the characters are in the frame as well as Rice’s view when he sees Susan dancing with another man.
The direction also include this very surreal sequence as it relates to the struggle that Rice has in his alcoholism where it involves this bottle of whiskey and a clock as it is this amazing sequence filled with unique camera angles and extravagant set designs. It’s a scene that help play into the drama that would intensify in its third act where Rice’s desperation and fragility come into play. The film’s climax which involves a bomb that Rice is researching is quite intense in terms of its suspense where Powell and Pressburger choose to present the whole thing in a restrained approach. It is a moment in the film that is quite chilling in what is going through Rice’s head as tries to figure out what the creator of the bomb would do as it would also force him to confront himself. Overall, Powell and Pressburger create a riveting and mesmerizing film about scientist’s struggle to maintain his sanity during World War II and battling alcoholism.
Cinematographer Christopher Challis does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its emphasis on stylish lighting and moods that play into the drama including Rice’s struggle with his sobriety as well as the soft lights for some of the close-ups. Editors Reginald Mills and Clifford Turner do excellent work with the editing as it is quite straightforward with some stylish shots for the nightmare sequence as well as some rhythmic cutting for some of the dramatic suspenseful moments. Production designer Hein Heckroth and art director John Hoesli do amazing work with the look of the lab and offices that Rice works at in how small it is as well as the look of Rice’s apartment home including the nightmare sequence which is a highlight of the film’s art direction.
Costume designer Josephine Boss does fantastic work with the design of the gowns and dresses that Susan wears at work as well as in the nightclub scenes. The sound work of Alan Allen is superb for some of the sound effects that play into the testing of weapons and such including the conference scene where sounds would pop up every now and then to play into some of the film’s intense moments including its climax where it is used sparingly. The film’s music by Brian Easdale is terrific for its mixture of bombastic orchestral music with some eerie textures with the usage of the theremin to play into some of the suspense and drama that looms throughout the film.
The casting by Madeleine Godar is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Bryan Forbes as a dying gunner who had a fatal encounter with a German bomb, Sid James as a bartender at the bar Rice frequents at, Milton Rosmer as a fellow professor, Renee Asherson as a corporal at the beach site for the film’s climax, Leslie Banks as a colonel who is trying to speed things up with the weapons test, and Robert Morley as a minister of war who is trying to use his position of power to get Rice to speed things up. Cyril Cusack is terrific as a stuttering soldier in Corporal Taylor who often guards the building that Rice works at as he is one of the few friends that Rice has. Michael Gough is excellent as Captain Dick Stuart as the person who goes to Rice for help about the bomb as he would take part in the research.
Jack Hawkins is brilliant as R.B. Waring as a military official who is trying to help Rice but also be aware of the many things that are happening behind the scenes. Kathleen Byron is incredible as Susan as a secretary who is also Rice’s girlfriend as it’s a radiant performance from Byron as a woman who is supportive but also not afraid to speak her mind about Rice’s lack of ambition as well as dependence on alcoholism. Finally, there’s David Farrar in a phenomenal performance as Sammy Rice as a bomb expert who is also a research scientist that is troubled by the demands from his bosses about the bomb as he also copes with his alcoholism where Farrar’s sense of anguish is riveting to watch.
The Small Back Room is a sensational film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger that features remarkable performances from David Farrar and Kathleen Byron. Featuring a compelling story, eerie visuals, and a great supporting cast, the film is definitely one of the finest war dramas made about World War II that doesn’t feature any combat as well as an exploration of man’s battle with substance abuse. In the end, The Small Back Room is a tremendous film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Powell-Pressburger Films: The Spy in Black - Contraband - (The Lion Has Wings) - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) – A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I'm Going! - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - (The Elusive Pimpernel) - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffman - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of River Plate) – Ill Met by Moonlight - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by J. Storer Clouston, The Spy in Black is the story about a German U-boat captain who falls for his contact in Britain during World War I. Directed by Michael Powell and screenplay by Emeric Pressburger from a scenario by Roland Pertwee, the film marks the first collaboration between Powell and Pressburger that would help define British cinema. Starring Conrad Veidt, Valerie Hobson, Marius Goring, and Sebastian Shaw. The Spy in Black is a gripping yet engaging film from Michael Powell.
Set in 1917 during World War I, the film revolves around a scheme by a German U-boat captain who goes on an assignment to meet spies working for the Germans pretending to be British citizens. It’s a film that is about spies and conspiracy where a captain is trying to find ways to create a sneak attack on a British fleet at the Scapa Flow in Britain. The film’s screenplay by Emeric Pressburger explores the ideas of what spies do to become someone else and take on a role but also how they have to maintain an act of deceit where they blur the lines of what side they’re playing for.
Especially as this U-boat captain in Hardt (Conrad Veidt) who is eager to help the Germans win against the British at any cost where he finds himself arriving onto the Orkney Islands where he meets and falls for his German contact in a woman named Fraulein Tiel (Valerie Hobson) who is pretending to be a schoolteacher she and other agents had captured. Adding to this growing complication is the disgraced former British naval officer Ashington (Sebastian Shaw) who aids Hardt in the scheme as Hardt suspects about a relationship he had with Tiel. It adds to some of the tension that is looming but also has some layers of secrets about what is really going on where Hardt suspects something isn’t right about Tiel nor Ashington.
Michael Powell’s direction is quite simple while having a flair for style in the way it uses stock footage for shots set in the sea or in battle. Shot on various locations in Britain with much of it shot at Denham Studios, Powell creates a film that explores the world of spies and how they operate where Powell’s usage of medium and wide shots in some of the locations and scenes are quite engaging. Especially in his close-ups as it adds to some of the suspense and drama that looms throughout the film which include scenes involving Hardt and Tiel. There are moments of suspense in the way Powell creates through some scenes as well as some of the moments in the third act as it has some big reveals but also some compelling ideas of war and how some conduct themselves during wartime. Overall, Powell creates a riveting yet sublime film about a U-boat captain taking on a secret mission with the aid of spies in Britain during World War I.
Cinematographer Bernard Browne does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it play into some of the scenes at night with its usage of shadows and low-key lights that add a lot to the suspense. Editor Hugh Stewart does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward as it also include some stylish usage of stock footage. Production designer Vincent Korda and art director Frederick Pusey do fantastic work with the look of the house the characters would stay in for much of the film‘s second half as well as some of the interiors of the submarine that Hardt is the captain of. The sound work of A.W. Watkins is terrific for the usage of sound effects as well as in some of the sparse moments in the sound. The film’s music by Miklos Rozsa is superb for its orchestral score as it play into the suspense and drama while not going overboard as it favors lush and low-key moments rather than bombastic pieces.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from Cyril Raymond as Reverend John Harris who is supposed to marry the woman Tiel is pretending to be, Hay Petrie as a ferry engineer, George Summers as a ferry captain, June Duprez as a schoolteacher that Tiel would pretend to be, Mary Morris as a chauffer who is really a German spy, and Marius Goring as Hardt’s fellow officer Lt. Schuster who would take command of the sub in place of Hardt. Sebastian Shaw is excellent as Lt. Ashington as a disgraced British officer who decides to help Hardt in planning the attack on the British fleet while being quite ambiguous in what he does outside of the house. Valerie Hobson is brilliant as Fraulein Tiel as a spy who pretends to be a British schoolteacher as she tries to maintain her professionalism and sway the advances of Captain Hardt. Finally, there’s Conrad Veidt in an amazing performance as Captain Hardt as a U-boat captain who is trying to plan an assault on the British fleet where he copes with working with spies and hope for a victory for Germany.
The Spy in Black is a remarkable film from Michael Powell. Featuring a great cast and a compelling script by Emeric Pressburger, the film is a fascinating spy-thriller that play into the world of war and what some will do to survive. In the end, The Spy in Black is a marvelous film from Michael Powell.
Powell/Pressburger Films: Contraband - (The Lion Has Wings) - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I'm Going! - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (The Elusive Pimpernel) - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffmann - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Ill Met by Moonlight - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the book by W. Stanley Moss, Ill Met by Moonlight (Night Ambush in the U.S.) is the story of a couple of British officers who arrive in Nazi-occupied Crete where they abduct the island’s commander. Written for the screen, produced, and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the film is a dramatic account of Moss’ actual real-life work as a British agent who does whatever he can to win the war as he is played by David Oxley. Also starring Dirk Bogarde, Marius Goring, and Cyril Cusack. Ill Met by Moonlight is a gripping and engaging film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Set in April of 1944 during Nazi’s occupation of Greece, the film revolves around two British officers who are tasked with a mission to kidnap a Nazi general at the island of Crete and bring him to Cairo so that the Nazis would be forced out of the island. It’s a film with a simple plot as it plays to two men planning a mission but also deal with what lays ahead as they’re aided by Greek resistance forces at the island who are fighting a guerilla war with the Nazis. The film’s script play into the mission that Major Fermor (Dirk Bogarde) and Captain Moss would go as they had to make sure things go right and no one gets killed. Even as they have to deal with their hostage in Major General Heinrich Kreipe (Marius Goring) who is a man of great intelligence as he knows what he has to endure. Yet, there is a sense of respect between the general and his captors as it relates to strategy as well as making sure the general isn’t killed.
The direction of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is actually simple as it’s more grounded despite that it’s largely shot at Pinewood Studios with some location shooting in the French-Italian alps and at the Cote de Azur in France. The usage of wide and medium shots play into the vast locations while the latter would also be used for these scenes in campfires and inside the homes of the locals at Crete to showcase a world that Major Fermer and Captain Moss are in. The approach to suspense is slow-building as much of the action in the second half is set in the mountains where the British and Greek resistance fighters are trying to hide from the Nazis as well as hide General Kreipe who will try to get their attention. Yet, there are these moments where Major Fermer and Captain Moss are trying to see what to do as it relates to its climax where General Kreipe would know they would have something up their sleeve as he tries to bribe a young Greek boy to ruin things as it has this battle of wits in some respects but one based on respect. Overall, Powell and Pressburger create a riveting yet compelling film about an abduction mission in World War II.
Cinematographer Christopher Challis does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to capture the naturalistic look for many of the film‘s daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as some lighting for some of the nighttime interior/exterior scenes. Editor Arthur Stevens does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward to play up the suspense as well as some of the action in the film. Art director Alex Vetchinsky does terrific work with some of the set pieces such as the homes of the locals in Crete as well as the look of the warships the British officers would depart from. Sound editor Arthur Ludski does superb work with the sound to capture some of the action involving a few gun battles as well as the sounds of planes and cars surrounding the mountains. The film’s music by Mikis Theodorakis is fantastic for its music score that mixes some orchestral bombast with traditional Greek music including its percussions to help play into the suspense and action.
The film’s amazing cast include some notable small roles from Michael Gough as a Crete local, Christopher Lee as a Nazi officer attacked at a dentist, Dimitri Andreas as a Crete boy who would help the officers while befriending General Kreipe, and as a trio of Greek resistance fighters helping the British officers in Brian Worth, Paul Stassino, and Rowland Bartrop. Cyril Cusack is terrific in his small role as Captain Sandy Rendel who would also aid the officers in planning the capture as he would later take part in the film’s climax. David Oxley is fantastic as Captain W. Stanley “Billy” Moss as Major Fermor’s partner who would come up with ideas and do whatever he can to make sure no one gets killed.
Marius Goring is excellent as Major General Heinrich Kreipe as the island’s commander who is kidnapped as he realizes what he goes on where would try to resist only to realize the men he is dealing are just as smart as he is where he has a bit of respect for them. Finally, there’s Dirk Bogarde in a brilliant performance as Major Patrick “Paddy” Leigh Fermor as the leader of this operation who tries to ensure everything goes right while dealing with General Kreipe as he knows that he is an amateur in situations like this but does whatever he can to ensure the general’s survival.
Ill Met by Moonlight is a marvelous film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. While it is a different war film of sorts where there isn’t a lot of violence in favor of planning, character study, and a battle of wits. It is a film that still manages to offer a lot in terms of suspense as well as be a war film that doesn’t exactly play by the rules. In the end, Ill Met by Moonlight is a remarkable film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Powell/Pressburger Films: The Spy in Black - Contraband - (The Lion Has Wings) - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I'm Going! - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffmann - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the stories of E.T.A. Hoffmann and the opera of Jacques Offenbach, The Tales of Hoffmann is a multi-layered film that tells three different stories in a stage setting captured on film. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the film is a mixture of fantasy, ballet, and opera told in a thrilling and cinematic fashion. Starring Moira Shearer, Robert Rounsville, Leonide Massine, Robert Helpmann, Pamela Brown, Ludmilla Tcherina, and Ann Ayars. The Tales of Hoffmann is a majestic and evocative film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
The film revolves around three different stories told by its author during an intermission for a ballet performance where he tells friends at a tavern about three women he had fallen for. The first was an automaton ballerina the man would fall for unaware of who she really is as their creators would scheme and ruin things for him. The second involves a courtesan, who works for an evil magician, who would seduce him in order to steal his soul. The third story plays into an ailing soprano singer who cannot sing as it means death until she is coerced by an evil doctor. All of which told by this writer in Hoffmann (Robert Rounsville) who would play the protagonists in his stories while he would also deal with a rival in Councillor Lindorf (Robert Helpmann) who would be seen as the antagonist in all three stories. At the same time, Hoffmann’s aide Nicklaus (Pamela Brown) would be in all of the stories to observe everything as it relates to many of Hoffman’s failures.
The film’s script by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is told in a sort of reflective narrative where it plays into Hoffmann telling his stories to people at a tavern as it then moves into the first story and then to another and then to the third story. It’s a film with simple narrative yet it is largely told by the music where a lot of the dialogue in the film is sung in an operatic fashion thanks in part to Dennis Arundell who would write the film’s English libretto for the singers to sing. Each story would play into Hoffmann’s attempt to win over an object of desire but always has to endure the presence of Lindorf who would play different personas to stop him from winning over a young woman.
The direction of Powell and Pressburger is quite simple as much of it is shot inside a soundstage that acts as this artificial stage where much of the ballet and operatic performances take place. The usage of wide and medium shots capture everything that is going on in the stage as well as some crane camera shots to shoot from above to capture some of the dancing as well as the singing. There aren’t a lot of close-ups in the film in order to capture the sense of performance that happens on the stage yet it has this sense of flair in the camera movements. The usage of tracking and dolly shots would say a lot into way the dance, which is wonderfully choreographed by Frederick Ashton with additional work from Alan Carter and Joan Harris, is presented as well as some camera tricks to play up this sense of fantasy as well in the wide shots to see the staging of these sets. While each story has its own personality, they all display that sense of fantasy but also a dramatic flair that adds so much to what Hoffmann would endure as the film would end with not just the reality of what he faced in his stories. It is also in the fact that he could’ve handled things better as well as find a way to outwit Lindorf. Overall, Powell and Pressburger craft a ravishing yet magical film about a man’s trilogy of stories of love lost.
Cinematographer Christopher Challis does brilliant work with the film‘s gorgeous Technicolor cinematography as it captures every bit of detail in the color of how the sets look and how things are lit to play up the sense of fantasy. Editor Reginald Mills does amazing work with the editing with its rhythmic cuts, stylish usage of dissolves to play up the fantasy, and other stylish cuts to say a lot about the dancing and the world these characters are in. Production/costume designer Hein Heckroth, along with art director Arthur Lawson and co-costume designer Ivy Baker, does fantastic work with not just the look of the sets as it plays up this air of fantasy and artificiality but also in the costumes including the dresses and gowns the women wear in the performances.
Makeup artist Connie Reeve does nice work with the makeup in the way the characters look to the environment they‘re in. Sound recordist Ted Drake does terrific work with some of the minimal sound effects that is recorded in the film as much of the sound work is done in post-production. The film’s music of Jacques Offenbach, with English libretto by Dennis Arundell, is incredible as its mixture of opera and orchestral music is key to the film as it helps tell the story as well as play into many of the trials and tribulation that Hoffmann would endure throughout the film as the string arrangements under the music direction by Sir Thomas Beecham.
The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable small roles from Frederick Ashton in a dual role as the puppet master Kleinsach from the first story and Cochenille in the second story with Murray Dickie as his singing voice, Mogens Wieth and the singing voice of Owen Brannigan as Antonia’s father in the third story, and Edmond Audran as Stella’s dance partner in the prologue. Leonide Massine is fantastic in the multiple roles as the automaton creator Schemil in the first story as well as a count in the second story and a deaf servant in the third with Owen Brannigan and Grahame Clifford in his singing voice. Pamela Brown is superb in the role of Nicklaus as Hoffmann’s friend who observes everything that goes on while being the conscience of sorts as she also tries to stop Hoffman from making the wrong decisions. Ana Ayars is excellent as the third woman in the story named Antonia as an ailing singer who deals with the temptation of singing again knowing that she’ll die if she does as Ayars also provides her own vocals.
Ludmilla Tcherina is brilliant as the courtesan Giulietta as this object of desire in the second story who is really working for one of Lindorf’s personas as her singing voice is dubbed by Margherita Grandi. Moira Shearer is amazing in a dual role as Hoffmann’s current object of desire in a prima ballerina named Stella in the film’s prologue/epilogue and as the automaton ballerina known as Olympia who is full of life but is also very odd as her singing voice is dubbed by Dorothy Bond. Robert Helpmann is great in the multiple roles he plays as the film’s antagonists in Lindorf in the film’s prologue/epilogue as well as the other devious and manipulative personas in the puppet maker Coppelius in the first story, the schemer Dapertutto in the second story, and the morose Dr. Miracle in the third story as his singing voice is dubbed by Bruce Dargavel. Finally, there’s Robert Rounseville in a sensational performance as Hoffmann as this poet who tells the story of heartbreak and loss as he endures so much while doing things that would also undo with Rounseville maintaining a great presence as well as doing his own singing.
The Tales of Hoffmann is a phenomenal film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Featuring a great cast, dazzling visuals in its photography and art direction, and a sumptuous music score. The film isn’t just one of the quintessential films of the Archers production team but also a film that manages to convey the idea of fantasy with a richness that isn’t seen very much in films. In the end, The Tales of Hoffmann is a spectacular film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Powell/Pressburger Films: The Spy in Black - Contraband - (The Lion Has Wings) - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I'm Going! - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (Gone to Earth) - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Ill Met by Moonlight - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Michael Powell and written by Emeric Pressburger from an idea by Powell and Brock Williams, Contraband is the story of a Danish sea captain who is stuck in the British ports as he deals with Nazi spies in the early stages of World War II. The film is a spy drama set at a time when Denmark was neutral to the war as it explores a Danish man who is suddenly forced to take part in the war. Starring Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson. Contraband is a thrilling and engaging film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
The film revolves around a Danish sea captain who is stopped at a British port where he unknowingly is carrying two British secret agents as he aids one of them in uncovering a Nazi spy syndicate in London. It’s a film that plays into a man trying to do his duty and not be involved in this conflict between Britain and Nazi Germany as he is only in the British seas to transport cargo. Though there are rules and regulations that Captain Andersen (Conrad Veidt) had to follow, the British officers do give him a chance to relax where a shore pass he and his subordinate First Officer Axel Skold (Hay Petrie) were supposed to have were stolen prompting the two to find the passengers that stole those passes. One of them is a passenger in Mrs. Sorensen (Valerie Hobson) who is revealed to be a British spy where Andersen reluctantly helps her.
Emeric Pressburger’s screenplay plays into the sense of fear that is going on in Britain where there’s curfew as London is having blackouts. Though Captain Andersen wants to remain neutral, his encounter with the Nazis would only prompt him to be directly involved knowing the risks he is putting for himself and his country. The script also has these intricacies into what is happening in Britain and what Nazis would try to do as they would target other countries including the U.S. to create more trouble. It adds to the sense of suspense and stakes that emerge where Andersen and Sorensen have to take charge while the script includes a moment before the suspense where the two eat at a Danish restaurant where Andersen would later get help from those men for the film’s climax.
Michael Powell’s direction is quite simple as he shoots the film on location on the British ports just around the time Britain was in war with Nazi Germany. Much of it is simple with some unique tracking shots for the scenes set at the Danish boat as it plays to the sense of control that Andersen needs in his boat. The scenes at the Danish restaurant are energetic with some unique approach to close-ups and medium shots as well as some unique camera angles for some exterior scenes during the blackout. Powell also create these tense moments where Sorensen is being interrogated by the lead Nazi spy Van Dyne (Raymond Lowell) where he knows where to place the camera as well as showcase exactly what Andersen is seeing after being knocked unconscious by a spy. All of which leads to a very interesting and energetic climax that is told with such style and bits of humor by Powell. Overall, Powell and Pressburger create a very riveting and captivating spy film about a Danish sea captain helping a woman uncover a Nazi spy ring.
Cinematographer Freddie Young does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography where many of the film‘s exterior nighttime scenes in London and at sea are very interesting with its low-key approach to lighting as well as some of the interiors including its climax. Editor John Seabourne does nice work with the editing as it‘s very straightforward with a few fade-outs for structural reasons and some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s humor. Set decorator Alfred Junge does superb work with the set pieces from the look of the Danish restaurant in London to the secret place where the Nazi spies are.
Costume designer Rahvis does amazing work with the dress that Sorenson wears as well as the tuxedos and uniforms some of the men wear. Sound recordists C.C. Stevens and A.W. Watkins do terrific work with the sound to play into the film‘s suspenseful moments as well as some of its celebratory scenes. The film’s music by Richard Addinsell and John D.H. Greenwood is brilliant for its bombastic orchestral score as well as some lush moments while music director Muir Matheson uses some dancehall music and some traditional pieces to play into Andersen’s need to rally such as the Danish folk song that he and his brethren would sing.
The film’s fantastic cast includes notable appearances from Esmond Knight as a fellow British spy known as Mr. Pidgeon, Joss Ambler and Harold Warrender as a couple of British officers who stop Andersen to inspect his cargo, and Raymond Lovell in a terrific performance as the Nazi spy Van Dyne who is trying to create havoc for Britain and other future enemies. Hay Petrie is excellent in a dual role as Andersen’s subordinate Axel Skold and as Skold’s brother Erik as Petrie brings a lot of charm and wit to both characters. Valerie Hobson is amazing as Mrs. Sorenson as this woman who irks Andersen early on for not wearing a life jacket as she realizes that she needs his help to uncover the Nazi spy ring in London. Finally, there’s Conrad Veidt in a brilliant performance as Captain Andersen as this Danish sea captain who is just trying to do his job as he finds himself involved in uncovering a Nazi spy ring as he decides to get involved for the sake in doing what is right for the world.
Contraband is a marvelous film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Featuring great performances from Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson as well as intriguing ideas on the world of spies in World War II during its Phoney War period. It’s a film that showcases a moment in time where World War II was just starting as Denmark would enter that war knowing what is at stake. In the end, Contraband is an exhilarating film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Powell/Pressburger Films: The Spy is Black - (The Lion Has Wings) - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I'm Going! - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffman - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Ill Met by Moonlight - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Michael Powell and written by Leo Marks, Peeping Tom is the story of a man who kills women through a camera to capture their expression of terror. The film is a suspense thriller that explores the world of voyeurism and obsession through the mind of a man carrying a film camera. Starring Carl Boehm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, Maxine Audley, Pamela Green, and Esmond Knight. Peeping Tom is a provocative yet unsettling film from Michael Powell.
The film explores the life of a troubled young man who stalks women and kills them for his own viewing pleasure as he befriends a young woman who lives in his house with her mother. It’s a film that follows the life of this young man who was the son of a renowned yet cruel psychiatrist who made his son his own lab rat to study the concept of fear. All of those experiments has seeped into the mind of Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm) who lives in his family home all by himself while renting rooms to people as he spends most of his time working as a focus puller for a filmmaker and doing photography for nudie magazines. Upon meeting his tenant Helen (Anna Massey) on her 21st birthday, he is reluctant to have a friendship with her as he is still eager to kill women and film their deaths as an investigation occurs.
Leo Marks’ screenplay is full of complexities as well as some unique character study into who Mark Lewis is as this young man that wants to become a filmmaker but is troubled by his past as he is also sexually repressed. His fascinating with women and their sex appeal has him wanting them but his own sexual repression leads to having them killed and film it as if he is capturing the same fear that his father had inflicted. Upon meeting Helen, he is charmed by her upbeat nature but is also unsure if he wants to have a relationship as Helen’s blind mother (Maxine Audley) is suspicious about Mark. Once the murders start to become more public knowledge, a chief inspector (Jack Watson) ponders what is going on as he has suspicions about Lewis. All of points to many intricacies over Lewis’ own state of mind as Helen wonders why he is so secretive about his life as she tries to get him to be more outgoing.
Michael Powell’s direction is very interesting in the way he opens the film where it’s shot from Lewis’ point of view as he is holding his camera to stalk his victim. The way the camera zooms slowly into a close-up to showcase the kill is very unique where Powell never shows a character be killed but rather the aftermath where the body is as it leads to the sense of mystery for an inspector to try and figure out. Much of Powell’s direction is quite simple with its close-ups and medium shots as well as explore some of the things that goes in filmmaking as Lewis is working for a director who is trying to make a very mediocre comedy. There’s some humor in the way Powell creates the idea of a comedy as it is the absolute opposite of the film that Lewis is creating which is full of terror but also has the feel of something that is very personal.
Powell’s direction also has this sense of danger in the way he would create these suspenseful moments where Lewis would kill someone. It’s clear that Powell wants the audience to know what is going to happen but it’s the way he sets it up and maintaining that sense of unpredictability that is really intriguing to watch. Most notably a scene where Lewis meets with Helen’s mother who is very suspicious about his activities where it is clear that she knows how troubled Lewis is and who his father is. It adds an ambiguity into whether Lewis could find redemption or fall into his own troubled mind. Overall, Powell creates a very harrowing yet mesmerizing film about a serial killer whose obsession with capturing fear forces him to face his own fears.
Cinematographer Otto Heller does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it is full of color and some unique lighting schemes to play into some of the film‘s nighttime interior/exterior scenes to create some moods in the suspenseful moments of the film. Editor Noreen Ackland does superb work with the editing as it features some unique dissolves as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into its suspense and terror. Art director Arthur Lawson does brilliant work with the set design as it features the look of the film sets as well as the rooms that Lewis lives in.
The dresses that Helen wears are made by Polly Peck to showcase her good-natured persona while John Tullis designs the clothes that the stand-in Vivian wears to play into more her extroverted personality. Sound editor Malcolm Cooke does fantastic work with the sound to create some tension and terror in some of the film‘s suspenseful moments as it is a major highlight of the film. The film’s music by Brian Easdale is amazing as it features this very eerie and often dissonant piano score to play into its dark tone while there’s jazz pieces in the film that adds an offbeat element to the film’s music as it’s another of the film’s highlights.
The film’s marvelous cast features some notable small roles from Michael Powell through film footage as Lewis’ father, Powell’s son Columba as the young Lewis, Martin Miller as a psychologist hired by the police, John Barrard as Lewis’ boss at the newsstand, Shirley Anne Field as the starring actress in the film Lewis is working on, and Miles Malleson as an elderly man at the newsstand who is trying to hide what he’s buying. Other notable small roles include Esmond Knight in a terrific role as a film director trying to create a comedy, Jack Watson as a chief inspector trying to solve the case as he suspects Lewis, and Pamela Green is superb as a model who often poses in the nudie magazines that Lewis works for. Moira Shearer is fantastic as the stand-in Vivian who is eager to become a major actress as she asks Lewis for help.
Maxine Audley is amazing as Helen’s blind mother as a woman who can observe a person by the way he walks and such as she is suspicious about Lewis as she becomes concerned for her daughter’s well-being as well as realizing Lewis’ own sense of repression and troubled state of mind. Anna Massey is excellent as Helen as a young woman who is intrigued by Lewis as she befriends him as well as try to understand as she is a representation of innocence that entrances Lewis but also scares him. Finally, there’s Carl Boehm in a remarkable performance as Mark Lewis as a troubled aspiring filmmaker who is obsessed with capturing fear through film as he falls for his new tenant as he struggles with who he is and hiding his secrets.
Peeping Tom is a phenomenal film from Michael Powell. Armed with a great cast as well as chilling score, the film is definitely one of the most overlooked suspense films of the 1960s as well as a film that never got its due in its original release. Especially as it still has this sense of shock as well as being very dangerous which makes the film very timeless. In the end, Peeping Tom is an outstanding film from Michael Powell.
Powell/Pressburger Films: The Spy is Black - (The Lion Has Wings) - Contraband - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I'm Going! - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffman - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Ill Met by Moonlight - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, A Matter of Life and Death is the story of an airman who survives death as he falls for an American radio operator while angels are trying to get him to the other side. Set during World War II, the film is an exploration into a man facing and cheating death while trying to continue his life without compromise. Starring David Niven, Kim Hunter, Roger Livesay, Marius Goring, and Raymond Massey. A Matter of Life and Death is an extraordinarily rich film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
The film is about a man who had just survived a near-death experience as his bomber plane crashed where he jumped off his plane without a parachute. While he was on his plane, he communicates with an American radio operator where the two fall for each other as they eventually meet and become a couple. For the people in Heaven, they realize the man was supposed to die as they send an angel (Marius Goring) to meet with the man to tell him he’s supposed to be in Heaven. The angel gives the man time while Dr. Frank Reeves (Roger Livesay) examines the man as he would defend him in a trial to see if this man should stay alive or be sent to Heaven. It’s a film about life and death as well as the power of love where the people from above are to see if this man in Peter Carter (David Niven) should stay alive to fall in love with the American woman June (Kim Hunter).
The film’s screenplay explores the world of life and the afterlife where Peter Carter has accidentally cheated death where angels and those in the afterlife question should Peter Carter fulfill what has been expected him in life or should he continue to go on living? Yet, the people in Heaven didn’t expect for Peter and June to fall for each other in a moment like this as they send this French aristocratic angel to talk with Peter about what he should do. Dr. Frank Reeves listens to Peter talking about his meeting with the angels as he believes there is more to something that is beyond anything. Yet, he would play a crucial role into defending Peter in front of the people of the afterlife as he has to face a jury that despise the British led by its American prosecutor Abraham Farlan (Raymond Massey). What would happen in the third act is a trial for the life of a man as Peter would also face a judge and jury to see if he deserves to stay alive.
The direction of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is definitely out of this world in terms of what they presented. Notably as they go for two very different approaches to life on Earth and the afterlife where the former is presented in gorgeous Technicolor and the latter is presented in black-and-white. The direction is often filled with a sense of style from the sense of danger that is presented in the opening moments of the film where Peter is flying his bomber plane as he talks to June. A lot of the scenes set on Earth do have some degree of style in some of its location shots as well as a scene of Dr. Reeves looking out at the town through a magnifying table. Other stylish shots in the film are the conversations between Peter and the angel where everything around them stops while the people who aren’t Peter or the angel stay still.
The scenes set in Heaven are very stylized in the set pieces that is created where there are things the dead have to do once they arrive in Heaven. There is a sense of control that occurs while the trial scene itself is filled with some wide shots to establish the scope of the case in hand. There is also the staircase scenes that is presented in black-and-white but also in color to establish the link between the two worlds. The third act is about the two worlds colliding to set the fate for Peter Carter as where some big decisions occur as well as the idea of life itself. Overall, Powell and Pressburger create a magnificent story about life and the power of love.
Cinematographer Jack Cardiff does exquisite work with the film‘s beautiful photography from the wonderful look of the scenes in Heaven shot in black-and-white with some amazing lighting schemes to the lush Technicolor look of the scenes on Earth from the look of the British countryside to some of the interiors in the film as Cardiff‘s work is a major highlight of the film. Editor Reginald Mills does excellent work with the film‘s editing with the use of abrupt cuts to play out some of the strange things that are happening around Peter to the use of freeze-frames and other stylish cuts to help give the film a brisk pace. Production designer Alfred Junge does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the staircase to the look of Heaven itself as it is a work of beauty.
Costume designer Hein Heckroth does wonderful work with the costumes to play up some of its coloring in the scenes on Earth while keeping things simple and stylish for the scenes in Heaven. The special effects work by Douglas Woolsey and Henry Harris is terrific for its use of optical effects to create some look of the universe as well as the backgrounds for the staircase scenes. Sound recorder C.C. Stevens does nice work with the sound to create sound effects for the film‘s opening sequence of Peter‘s plane crumbling as well as some intimate moments between characters as well as the scenes where sound isn‘t used. The film’s music by Allan Gray is superb for its lush orchestral score to play out the drama and some of its humor through some sweeping string arrangements and a few bombastic moments in the percussions.
The film’s cast is brilliant as it features some small appearances from Richard Attenborough as an English pilot who arrives to Heaven, Abraham Sofaer as Heaven’s judge and the surgeon performing surgery for Peter, Robert Coote as Peter’s deceased co-pilot Bob Trubshawe, and Kathleen Byron as the head angel who greets the dead to Heaven. Raymond Massey is excellent as Abraham Farlan who believes that Peter should die and be sent to Heaven while Marius Goring is marvelous as the very charming French aristocrat who has become an angel as he tries to get Peter to Heaven while realizing the severity of the situation. Roger Livesay is superb as Dr. Frank Reeves as a man who believes Peter’s stories as he tries to help him in every way while finding himself in a situation of his own where he can play a crucial role in Peter’s trial.
Kim Hunter is remarkable as June as an American woman who falls for Peter through their radio conversation while trying to wonder what is wrong with him as she turns to Dr. Reeves for help. David Niven is fantastic as Peter Carter as a man who had just experienced a near-death experience as well as love as he realizes his fate is in the hands of people beyond him as he tries to comprehend the idea of life itself.
A Matter of Life and Death is an incredible film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Armed with a great ensemble cast that includes David Niven, Kim Hunter, Roger Livesay, Raymond Massey, and Marius Goring as well as Jack Cardiff’s rapturous cinematography. It’s a film that explores the idea of life itself as well as how a man can put his own life in the hands of other to see if he should live. It’s also a film about the power of love and how strong it can be for a man’s fate. In the end, A Matter of Life and Death is a tremendous film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Powell/Pressburger Films: The Spy is Black - (The Lion Has Wings) - Contraband - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I‘m Going! - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffman - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Ill Met by Moonlight - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, I Know Where I’m Going! is the story of a woman traveling to the Scottish Hebrides to marry a tycoon only for things to go wrong as she meets a naval officer in the island. The film is a romantic-comedy of sorts of how a woman tries to go for one thing only for things not go the way she had planned. Starring Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesay, Pamela Brown, and Finlay Currie. I Know Where I’m Going! is an incredible film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
The film is essentially a love story of sorts of a woman whose life has always gone her own way is about to marry a tycoon as she travels to Scotland to marry him at an island. Due to awful weather and raging tides that will prevent her to get to the island, the woman is forced to stay at a small Scottish town where she meets a naval officer who lives in the island as he is descended from a family who has a nearby castle that he never enters believing it’s cursed. Despite her time at this small village, the woman is determined to reach the island at any cost believing it’s destiny as she is forced to come to terms with her feelings for the naval officer and everything else in her life.
The screenplay by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger explores a woman has everything going her way in life as the film opens with an amazing opening credits sequence of Joan Webster (Wendy Hiller) growing up as a child as she gets what she wants and is very ambitious. By marrying a tycoon, she will have everything she has ever wanted as she believed she’s earned it as it will fulfill her destiny. By the time she arrives Isle of Mull which is nearby the island of Kiloran, she expects to immediately be on board to the island but bad weather prevents it from happening. There, Joan has to stay on the island until the weather dies down as she befriends the naval officer Torquil MacNeil (Roger Livesay) who is the Laird of Kiloran. MacNeil is a man who loves the Isle of Mull as he insists that Joan should stay but Joan’s stubborn behavior would lead to some trouble as she is also starting to fall for MacNeil.
The direction of Powell and Pressburger is very engaging for the way it explores a woman’s desire to fulfill her destiny and the circumstances she has to endure. While a lot of the shots are quite simple in its presentation, there is an element of style in the way some scenes are shot as well as the film’s opening sequence where the opening credits are placed on various things. Yet, there are an array of images that are quite stylish such as the use of layered dissolves in a dream sequence for Joan while the film also contains some very simplistic moments to cover the Scottish landscape and the small town of Mull. The direction is also intense for a very big moment in the third act where MacNeil tries to stop Joan from reaching the island as he and another man are on the boat with Joan where its as a catalyst for what Joan is facing. Though the ending is sort of predictable of what is expected in a romantic story, it works to convey the journey both MacNeil and Joan have endured. Overall, Powell and Pressburger create a captivating yet mesmerizing film about destiny and how to adjust to different circumstances.
Cinematographer Erwin Hiller does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as he creates some gorgeous shots of the Scottish locations in the daytime as well as more low-key lighting schemes in some of the film‘s nighttime interior settings. Editor John Seabourne Jr. does terrific work with the editing from the use of layered dissolves in the dream sequence to some of the more intense editing in the film’s climax. Production designer Alfred Junge does wonderful work with some of the film‘s set pieces such as the home Joan stays in to the dance hall where Joan and MacNeil watch a celebration.
Sound recorder C.C. Stevens does amazing work with the sound to capture the intensity of the winds as well as the noise of the waves during that terrible weather. The film’s music by Allan Gray is superb for its lush orchestral score to play out some of the melodrama and lighter moments while the rest of the music features an array of traditional Scottish folk music.
The casting by Pat MacDonnell and Adele Raymond is brilliant as it features a wonderful collection of actors including an early appearance from Petula Clark as a young girl Joan meets, Captain C.W.R. Knight as a falconer friend of MacNeil, Catherine Lacey as a talkative local who shows Joan around a large manor, Murdo Morrison as a young boatman named Kenny, and Margot Fitzsimons as Kenny’s girlfriend Bridie. Finlay Currie is terrific as an experienced boatman in Ruairidh Mhor as a man who tells Joan that crossing the sea to the island is a good idea due to the weather. Pamela Brown is wonderful as MacNeil’s friend Catriona as a woman who knows about MacNeil’s attraction towards Joan as well as the things that Joan wants.
Finally, there’s the duo of Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesay as they both give remarkable performances in their respective roles as Joan Webster and Torquil MacNeil. Hiller displays a great sense of determination to a woman who is unaware of how the world plays into things as she finds herself unable to maintain control of her situation. Livesay is more reserved in his role as a naval officer dealing with his family curse as he is full of charm and warmth while also being quite upfront about what Joan is trying to do. The two have amazing chemistry as their scenes together is definitely a highlight of the film.
I Know Where I’m Going! is a marvelous film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger that features splendid performances from Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesay. It’s a film that reveals how some things don’t go the way one intends only for something else to happen where it would end up being even better. It’s also a very engaging romantic film that have a sense of conventional storytelling but takes its time to find ways to not go into formula. In the end, I Know Where It’s Going! is a phenomenal film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Powell/Pressburger Films: The Spy is Black - (The Lion Has Wings) - Contraband - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - One of Our Aircraft is Missing - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffman - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Ill Met by Moonlight - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2013
