Black Narcissus
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Saturday, August 24, 6 pm | BUY TICKETS
$12 | $8 Speed members
“A rapturous, near-indescribable work of cinematic art.” —Noel Murray, AV Club
This explosive work about the conflict between the spirit and the flesh is the epitome of the sensuous style of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. A group of nuns—played by some of Britain’s finest actresses, including Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, and Flora Robson—struggle to establish a convent in the Himalayas, while isolation, extreme weather, altitude, and culture clashes all conspire to drive the well-intentioned missionaries mad.
A darkly grand film that won Oscars for Alfred Junge’s art direction and Jack Cardiff’s cinematography, Black Narcissus is one of the greatest achievements by two of cinema’s true visionaries. 1947, U.K., DCP, 101 minutes.