Film Review - Black Narcissus

Fig 1.  Black Narcissus Poster (1947)

Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's Melodramatic film Black Narcissus (1947) tells us the story of a group of nuns that are sent to the Himalayas to assist educating and nursing in the palace of Mopu, though its atmosphere slowly shifts their focus onto more emotional personal feelings, awakening buried feelings of sexual desire, jealously and tension.

Fig 2

One outlining scene that demonstrates the nuns discourse is when Sister Briony is in charge of vegetation. In this scene she is seen looking out into the mountains, distracted and seeming distant. Sister Clodagh approaches her and it comes to view that Sister Briony has been having doubts about her beliefs and starts to remember her life before she became a nun. "with the high altitude and the constant, unnerving singing of the wind, produces deleterious physical and mental effects." (Pryor. 1947) Clodagh tries to convince her to keep working in order to bring her closure, but it's shortly revealed that Sister Briony has been doing that from the blisters on her hands, claiming it has had no affect.

 Later on it comes to light that instead of planting vegetables, Sister Briony instead plants flowers which in a symbolic sense can be seen as very sexual, representing the reproductive sexual organ. It shows that no matter how much Sister Briory tried to deny this she still ended planting something that blooms, something bloomed inside of her that she tried to repress and it was that desire of giving life.

Fig 3.

Through out the movie, as we notice changes in characters but also the colours of the set gradually become more colourful along with them. From the beginning they are rather mundane and dull but as soon as Sister Ruth's jealousy and Sister Clodaghs struggles come to be more present the colours exaggerate this. "The local Indian populace is backdropped with vibrant color, looking more natural and lively. But it is in the second half of the film where Powell's use of Technicolor is stunning. The introduction of the more vibrant hues dominate the film." (Mirasol. 2010) Though, these erratic colours work along with Ruths growing change to breaking her vows; we see very persistent reds which suggest the emotions of Lust, Sexuality, Anger and Devotion.

Fig 4.

This brings us to the Lipstick scene, which highlights the differences of Sister Ruth breaking her beliefs and Sister Clodagh resisting the temptation. Sister Ruth exhibits a very seductive gesture of putting on lipstick in an attempt to throw Sister Clodagh off whom tries to avert her focus on the Bible which shows the viewers she still intends to stick to her beliefs as the role of the Sister in charge. "a gratuitous reflection upon those who, regardless of sect, have forsaken worldly pleasures out of sheer religious devotion. This is so because the two dominant characters are basically frustrated women who seek solace in religion after unhappy romances." (Pryor. 1947) It is clear at this point both sisters have opposites: On sister Ruth's side she is able to dress however she wants and in this case she exhibits a lot of dark sensual reds from her lipstick and her dress, for Sister Clodagh although she has had shared struggles she has confronted them and stayed true to her beliefs so the tones are very pure and holy.

After Ruth's death the atmosphere's themes return to as they originally were, quite mundane and realistic in fact it communicates that Ruth's death disrupted the tension and snapped the remaining nuns to finally find peace in their beliefs as they returned back to Calcutta.

Bibliogrpahy:

Mirasol, Michael (2010) - "BLACK NARCISSUS," WHICH ELECTRIFIED SCORSESE: https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/black-narcissus-which-electrified-scorsese [Accessed: 20/11/2017]

Pryor, Thomas (1947) - MOVIE REVIEW BLACK NARCISSUS: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=ee05e7df173ce261bc4c52dfbe66838c659ede [Accessed: 20/11/2017]

Pryor, Thomas (1947) - MOVIE REVIEW BLACK NARCISSUS: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=ee05e7df173ce261bc4c52dfbe66838c659ede [Accessed: 20/11/2017]

Illustration:

Figure 1 - Black Narcissus - Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger - Movie Poster (1947)

Figure 2 - Black Narcissus - Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger - Movie Still (1947)

Figure 3 - Black Narcissus - Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger - Movie Still (1947)

Figure 4 - Black Narcissus - Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger - Movie Still (1947)