Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Staggering, 29 Jul 2008
I have previously bought this wonderful film on laserdisc from Criterion and I have loved it and thought the transfer was good, even though colour strips weren't 100% synced. It has become one of my very favourite movies and the partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger one of my all time favourite director/writer team (Life and Death of Coronel Blimp and the Red Shoes are also totally wonderful).
Before I saw this movie again on this Blu-ray I had no idea that it could as awazing as it did on this release. Not only were the colours even more vibrant than ever, but the detail in the picture was staggering. I can now see all the detail in the walls, costumes and props. Alfred Junge got the Oscar for production design on this movie and it is understandable now more than ever. Everything looked totally breathtaking and I could now, more than ever, understand the distraction and beauty that make the nuns forget what they were doing. This is also thanks to the wonderful photography of Jack Cardiff, who won the Oscar for it. His use of colors and the lighting are nothing short of brilliant. When viewing the film it is hard to believe that everything was shot at Pinewood studios, save for some shots from the English countryside. It is a lesson to filmmakers nowadays that you can make a believable movie totally in the studio.
The documentary "The profile of Black Narcissus" is included and is quite informative and interesting, featuring interviews with several of the people who made it, including Jack Cardiff and Kathleen Byron. Is is presented in 576p, so some people with a TV that doesn't support this resolution may have problems viewing it. The Blu-ray is also region free.
If you haven't seen the movie before and are interested in the old way of moviemaking then I totally recommend this magnificent picture.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"He Seems A Difficult Man...You Won't Get Much Help From Him...", 19 Feb 2009
As the muscle-bound-creep whacks the iconic "J. Arthur Rank" gong in the opening credits of "Black Narcissus" - your heart sinks. The print is truly awful. But that soon disappears when you lay eyes on the restored palette of the actual film itself. The remaining credits are steady, clean and amazingly free of scratches and grain. It's a relief to say that this odd - and still strangely unsettling film (based on Rumer Godden's book) - is a triumph on Blu-Ray.
The effect of seeing the painted studio backdrops doubling as the Himalayan mountains and the nun's make up on their supposed unadorned angelic faces is slightly disconcerting at first, but once you get used to it - scene after scene impresses you with the lovely detail - especially if you've a large screen to do the thing justice. I used the 'Smart' mode on my Sony to get it out of its 'square' mode and fill the screen and it wasn't in the least bit stretched or out of place.
Highlights include when the camera first settles on the young and flirtatious Kanchi in her racy Indian attire (played superbly by Jean Simmons) sat on her suitcase outside Sister Cloddagh's mountain convent (played by Deborah Kerr), you actually 'see' how beautiful and striking Simmons was. Or when Kathleen Byron as the lusting Sister Ruth keeps flicking her eyes and thoughts at the semi naked David Farrar as Mr. Dean - you see both of their faces and expressions - and for the first time you actually 'feel' the wild spark coursing through their reserved but tempted British veins. You can imagine how bold this must have been at the cinema in May 1947. Then Byron's beautiful yet deadly face as she emerges wild-eyed at the end of the movie from the convent doors in her civilian clothes - Deborah Kerr on the bell...pretty potent stuff still...
Admittedly, some parts of the scenery seem weak - the washed-out blue of the palace walls, the now obvious matt drawings doubling as the sheer mountain drop by the famous bell... But with the wind and the superb scale of the set, you're almost completely fooled into believing that these out-of-place nuns actually are in sweaty and difficult India - absolutely all of it filmed in Pinewood without every leaving England (except one outside shot).
The audio is old though - and sounds it - but it's acceptable. There's also a 30-minute plus making of called "The Profile Of..." which features interviews and insightful stuff from Kathleen Byron on the abrasive directing ways of Powell and the strong yet serene Kerr, who knew just how to handle him and his bullying.
Having watched a few dogs on Blu-Ray of old films, it's nice to see one that actually benefits from the format. It's absolutely not as good as the BR versions of "Cool Hand Luke", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Zulu" or the early Bond films like "Dr. No" or "From Russia With Love" (where truly exceptional restoration work has taken place), but it's the best this film has ever looked - and for fans of "Black Narcissus" - it's a must buy.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
superb blu-ray of Technicolor classic, 28 Feb 2009
One of the most beautiful Technicolor films ever made in its best presentation on home video - awesome blu-ray - highly recommended -
if you own a player you owe it to yourself to buy this Powell - Pressburger classic on blu-ray.
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