Powell & Pressburger: Black Narcissus (1947)

Psychological tension reigns in this tale of British nuns who establish a convent and dispensary in a former harem in Hindustan. The exotic and erotic atmosphere of their new home seeps into the nuns’ cloistered existence, memories of the past compounding uncertainties about the present and pushing each to her own unraveling. Cinematographer Jack Cardiff and art director Alfred Junge both won Oscars for making what is acclaimed as one of the most ravishing of all Technicolor films and a tour de force of set design. The film was exclusively shot in the United Kingdom but convincingly conveyed the vast landscapes and detailed interiors of India to British audiences on the verge of parting with a fading empire.

Directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

1947 | United Kingdom | English language | DCP

Rated NR