Black Narcissus Film Review

There's something truly unearthly about this place

of howling winds, yawning chasms and atmosphere
thick with temptation. Sanctity, it will be proven, is
no match for sin. -1 (Uhlich K)
The synopsis of this iconic film iegaius a ancient
ieligious oiuei that have ueciueu to bianch theii
aiu anu teachings to the fai ieaches of the globe. A
new sistei supieme is appointeu to ovei watch the
piogiession of the new institute locateu in the
Bimalayas. Nopu Palace stanus 9,uuu feet above
sea level anu is the set foi the entiie piouuction. Its
ueielict location hints how alone the sisteis aie
fiom the iest of the woilu suiiounuing them, a
sense of fieeuom is given fiom its uepiction fiom
the foiegiounu elements.
Continuing to elaboiate upon this quote we shoulu iefeience to the above image (!"#$%& ()&). Locateu high above
the village below, Nopu Palace is a sight to beholu, ueiiveu fiom an outpost above the valley tuineu into a ieligious
sanctuaiy. Bue to its altituue the sounu woulu of couise incluue the high gusts cuiling into the valley anu
emphasizing the sense of abnoimal space given fiom this establishing shot. To the auuience this image attempts to
uisoiientate oui inteipietation of a peaceful sanctuaiy anu insteau begins to exploie the possibility of how alone
anu uesolate it coulu be, the iealism behinu the palace that it is miles fiom any soit of civilization anu the kinu of
uangeis that can piesent.

Powell's equally extravagant visual style
transforms it into a landscape of the mind --
grand and terrible in its thorough abstraction. -2
(Kehr D)
Powell the uiiectoi imploieu the use of illusions to
cieate a sense of ambiguity in his piece, inueeu the
piouuction incluues cinematogiaphy that looks at a
iange of cameia shotsangles but to uepict what he
solely uesiieu foi this film he useu paintings as a
extension to his filming to show the scale of the
palace to the iest of the suiiounuing woilu. Beie in
(!"#$%& ()*+ we obseive the use of this technique
foi ouiselves multiple times, Powell continually
uses this shot consistently thioughout the film
peihaps to illustiate the sheei uiop anu the sense
of the euge of the woilu.
Fiom the complimenting quote fiom Bave Kehi we can infei the use of abstiaction cinematogiaphy to visual
lanuscapes aie being imploieu to cieate a gianu view of the exteiioi of Nopu palace. This in tuin plays a key iole to
the sanity of the occupants of this space because of the high altituue the aii woulu uiffei to what they aie useu to,
which can possibly have a massive impact on theii behavioi towaiu the oiuei anu to each othei.

































Sexual tension hangs in the air as the wind
blows and native drums beat, but it's on a
visual level that the film excels.-3 (Empire)
Following oui theme of the steauy ueciease into
instability of the minu, we shoulu now uissect
chaiactei biogiaphies to ueteimine the
enviionments afteieffects. Pictuieu left ,!"#$%&
(-%&&+ is Sistei Ruth, a membei of the ieligious
oiuei anu a teachei foi the young chiluien who
attenu the tempoiaiy school they have cieateu. In
the piologue of the film we alieauy know that
Ruth's chaiactei is emotionally unstable anu is
thiown into this stiange enviionment on puipose
by the oiuei to test hei limits in unsettling
suiiounuings. Bei uemise is steauily shown in
cinematogiaphy anu hei makeup plays a key iole
also. Ruth's chaiactei is extiemely sexually
fiustiateu anu begins to look upon the male
chaiacteis in inteiest. In this shot specifically we
can sense the mauness within with Ruth staiing
blankly thiough hei eyebiows with exploieu
shauows to help uepict hei iage within.
The highlights of the stoiy of Black Naicissus can be fiom a iange of key
moments within the film, but most piominent is the slow uecay of Ruth's
Chaiactei. Below ,!"#$%& !*$%+ Is the tiue hoiioi of this bleak, uniequiteu
film, wheie the sistei supieme heiself is flabbeigasteu by the actions of hei
fellow sistei. This is the still taken fiom the final uemise of sistei Ruth anu
we can see even the main chaiactei is tiuly shockeu by hei actions. The
illusion of the Nopu Palace also cloaks the sense of instability as it is
uepicteu to be above the woilu anu away fiom these pioblems, when in fact
we cannot escape oui innei uemons.



























List of Illustiations:
Figuie 0ne - Nopu Exteiioi, Novie Piess at http:viueokiypt.woiupiess.com2u12uSu7black-
naicissus-nuns-in-heat-in-gloiious-technicoloui auueu uSuS2u12, accesseu on 2S112u1S
Figuie Two - Nopu height, Bavis Z at http:zenuavis.com.p=269 auueu 12122u12, accesseu on
2S112u1S
Figuie Thiee - Sistei Ruth, Nisimazine at http:www.nisimazine.euBlack-Naicissus.html auueu
21uS2uu9, accesseu on 2S112u1S
Figuie Foui - Sistei Supieme's hoiioi, Buckle A at
http:thefilmempoiium.blogspot.co.uk2u111umonthly-iounu-up-best-films-i-saw-in.html auueu
S11u2u11, accesseu on 2S112u1S

List of Biblogiaphy:
(1) - 0hlich K , Timeout at http:www.timeout.comusfilmblack-naicissus-S auueu S1122u12,
accesseu on 2S112u1S
(2) - Kehi B, Chicagoieauei at http:www.chicagoieauei.comchicagoblack-
naicissusFilm.oiu=1u697S1 auueu 2SuS2u1u, accesseu on 2S112u1S
(S) - Anon, Empiiemagazine at
http:www.empiieonline.comieviewsReviewComplete.asp.FIB=11SSu auueu uSu82uuS,
accesseu on 2S112u1S