MUST-SEE MOVIES: BLACK NARCISSUS (1947)

*****

U, 101 Mins

Christianity and Hinduism are at a clash of cultures in Powell and Pressburger’s Himalayan nun classic.

The Beeb recently did a really good TV adaptation of Rumer Godden’s 1939 novel ‘Black Narcissus’ about Anglican nuns psychologically imploding in the Himalayas. That starred the very beautiful Gemma Arterton as saintly Sister Clodagh and Aisling Franciosi as the mentally unstable Sister Ruth.

The BBC ‘Black Narcissus’ was atmospheric and beautifully shot in Nepal, but most importantly tapped into what made Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1947 film adaptation such a classic. That’s a culture clash between Christianity and Hinduism and Britain vs. India with Kathleen Byron as quite possibly the scariest nun ever put to film.

The era is the late 1930s-early 1940s and a mission of Anglican nuns has been sent to the Himalayas. They are called the convent of St.Faith and have been sent with a purpose of spreading God’s word, but more immediately to set up a school and a hospital for General Toda Rai (Esmond Knight) - the rajput ruler of an Indian princely state. 

The convent, situated at Mopu, is led by the beautiful Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) who is the Sister Superior. Sister Phillippa (Flora Robson) is set to tend to the gardens and Sister Briony (Judith Furse) the infirmary. Sister Blanche (Jenny Laird), who prefers the name “Sister Honey”, is tasked with teaching lace-making while the emotionally troubled Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) must teach general classes. The nuns are kept under the watchful eye of the handsome Mr. Dean (David Farrar), who is a source of sexual rivalry and jealousy for the girls, and he thinks they won’t make it to the monsoon season…

‘Black Narcissus’ begins life as a fish-out-of-water story especially in the scene where the Irish-born n’ bred, devout Christian Sister Clodagh first enters the village of Mopu and has to contend with the high standards of General Toda Rai and rural India (a world away from sitting in a chapel). It is rather disconcerting, however, to see the English actor, Esmond Knight, smothered in brownface, draped in excessive jewellery, an over-folded turban and a phoney, exaggerated Indian-sounding accent that Sanjeev Bhaskar would mock for breakfast. The 40s were very dated though in cinema.

The culture clash at the heart of this excellent movie, however, is not primarily between what it means to be British and Indian, but more between Christianity and Hinduism. The nuns constantly clash with native caretaker Angu Ayah (May Hallatt), for example. They don’t accept a holy man on their grounds; the general’s uncle who spends all his time staring into the mountains. They also take in a local girl called Kanchi (Jean Simmons) to try and control her “erratic” spirit and school the general’s current heir - referred to as the Young General (Sabu) - in classes in Western culture.

Deborah Kerr is brilliant in the lead role. She really embodied the saintly, god-fearing spirit of a woman who has been on a mission with God since she was a little girl and now, for the first time, her belief in him is shaken by the fact she is in a foreign country where most people don’t believe in her God and believe in more than one God. For the first time, Sister Clodagh has to face up to the fact that others don’t share her beliefs and that there are other opinions available.

Powell and Pressburger’s film also deals with how different people cope with a life of celibacy. Compare Sister Clodagh’s devotion to not lying with another man to Sister Ruth’s mental breakdown when she is rejected by Mr. Dean.

It all builds to a truly terrifying and thrilling climax with a bat-squeak of horror. Kathleen Byron’s face and performance is thrillingly unhinged especially thanks to the upward camera angles and scorching red lighting on her face. She has a horror face that would make Morfydd Clark in ‘Saint Maud’ (2020) quiver and I loved the excitement and energy of the final battle between good Clodagh and borderline evil Ruth. A titantic battle of the saints.

As well as being atmospheric and ominous, ‘Black Narcissus’ is what happens when two religions find themselves at the fisticuffs of each other’s throats. It’s a story of how life-long godly devotion can push some over the edge, but strengthen its grip on others. Brilliant, raunchy, racy, holy stuff from two of British post-war cinema’s greatest filmmakers.

‘Black Narcissus’ is on BBC iPlayer now.
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