The Red Shoes (1948)
Lauded by Martin Scorsese as “the only independent filmmakers who managed to work within the system and still get away with making truly experimental films,” Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988), the British filmmaking duo collectively referred to as The Archers, shared an artistic collaboration across 24 films between 1939 and 1972. Together, this visionary pair created “a bold, subversive, and iconoclastic cinema” (BFI), crafting films that explored the possibilities of cinematic language, the hypnotic power of color, and the psychedelia of the imagination. Those who have experienced the fever dreams of The Red Shoes (1948) and Black Narcissus (1947) or been enchanted by the folkloric romance of I Know Where I’m Going! (1945) understand the gravitational pull of their stories, often designed and shot by the same core team of dedicated artisans. This summer, these visual jewels are brought to life in our cinemas, some appearing as brand-new restorations. Programmed by K.J. Relth-Miller. Notes by Hyesung ii and K.J. Relth-Miller. Thanks to the Museum of Modern Art and the British Film Institute. LIMITED SERIES TELLERS OF TALES: THE FILMS OF POWELL & PRESSBURGER JUL 18–AUG 19, 2024
mission. With hues so vibrant the images seem to breathe, Jack Cardiff, who won his first Oscar for Cinematography (Color) on this project, pushes Technicolor to its limits, supported by the striking, Oscar-winning art direction of frequent Archers collaborator Alfred Junge in what Michael Powell has called “the most erotic film I have ever made.” DIRECTED/WRITTEN BY: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger. WITH: Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar, Flora Robson. 1947. 101 min. UK. Technicolor. English. 35mm nitrate. Print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp in 35mm Mon, Jul 22 | 7:30pm | DGT Despite Winston Churchill’s numerous attempts to suppress its production, The Archers successfully completed another audacious masterpiece, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp , in the height of WWII. The film, known to be Emeric Pressburger’s favorite of his own works, depicts the story of General Candy’s (Roger Livesey) forty years of life through flashbacks. The film combines an incredible ensemble
BLACK NARCISSUS
Black Narcissus in 35mm nitrate Thu, Jul 18 | 7:30pm | DGT
Instructed to establish a nunnery high in the Himalayas, Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) enlists others from her congregation to found a school and hospital in the palace of Mopu, where the unrelenting winds and extraordinary beauty of the landscape distract the sisters from their
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