Film Review - Black Narcissus

Black Narcissus was made in 1947 by Michael Powell. The story focuses on a group of Anglican nuns who travel to the Himalayas to start a convent. However, this plan fails spectacularly, and instead of them having an effect on the environment, the environment has a profound effect on them. Black Narcissus highlights the power of isolation and how it can create emotional turmoil in certain characters. The environment in the film almost seeps into the minds of the nuns, affecting how they think and feel, and in turn drastically twisting the movie's outcome.

Fig. 1

The set for Black Narcissus is amazingly done, on a small budget and in a time where special effects were costly and time consuming. The use of matte paintings integrated seamlessly into the set enhances the environment that the audience sees, and can be described as "deep enough to get lost in and flat enough to echo screams of fright and pleasure for years."(Lanthier, 2012). As well as the set, there is a strong focus on props the characters use and the symbolism that it entails. For example, there is a specific lipstick scene that can be indicative of sexual arousal. At the same time, one of the other nuns responds by reading a bible, which shows how she is obstinate in her beliefs and will not stray from the path of God that she has put herself on. This dramatic contrast is a pivotal moment in the film, and the symbolism tells the audience what is going on without having to speak a single word.

Fig. 2

Often talked about as a "morality drama" (Pryor, 1947), Powell shows the character's emotions through colour, and can almost convey what they're thinking through this alone. The colour palette at the beginning of the film is full of very neutral, natural tones. However, as the movie progresses, the colours become a lot more vivid to show the heightened emotions of the nuns out in the Himalayas. Restraint is shown by green and blue hues, whereas passion and sexuality is interpreted as reds and oranges. This use of colour is a clever move by Powell as it helps the audience to connect with the emotions of the nuns, as well as warning them of the madness that is to come as soon as the colours begin to change.

Fig. 3

Despite being an old film, with outdated and sometimes racist views where the Himalayan natives are portrayed as more 'primitive' than the nuns, Black Narcissus still captures a modern audience with its "total control over atmosphere and mood" (Petrie, no date). The use of set design, matte painting, symbolism and colour are all important factors in what sets Black Narcissus apart from other films of its time: it's obvious that a lot of thought has been put into all of these elements, and this culminates in an incredible film that shows strong emotions and tension through just the slightest change to the characters' environment.

Bibliography

Lanthier, J (2012). "Black Narcissus" in Slant [online]. Available at: https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/black-narcissus

Petrie, D (no date). "Black Narcissus - Film (Movie) Plot and Review" in Film Reference [online]. Available at: http://www.filmreference.com/Films-Bh-Bo/Black-Narcissus.html

Pryor, M (1947). "Black Narcissus" in The New York Times [online]. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=ee05e7df173ce261bc4c52dfbe66838c659ede

Illustration List

Fig. 1 - https://i1.wp.com/dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/black-narcissus.jpg

Fig. 2 - http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/black-narcissus-1947-003-lipstick-scene.jpg?itok=Qyd7lITF

Fig. 3 - https://theredlist.com/media/database/settings/cinema/1940-1950/the-black-narcissus/007-the-black-narcissus-theredlist.jpg