As I’ve said numerous times, the English team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (who was born in Hungary) made some unique and fascinating movies. Each one is a treat to see for the first time, and they invite repeat viewings.
Last weekend Carol and I watched A Canterbury Tale. It was made in 1944, and features an amateur actor named John Sweet, who was a real-life American Army sergeant at the time. The actress is Sheila Sim, who married Richard Attenborough a year later. The actor with Sim in the second scene is Eric Portman.
I’ve spliced together two scenes from A Canterbury Tale, widely separated in the movie, each with its own mood and charm. Powell was very good at not rushing things, and letting the story unfold at its own pace, while Pressburger’s character portrayals and dialog offer humor, warmth, and subtlety.
[flv:/Video/2008/JAN/Canterbury.flv 440 330]
Yes, sadly, they sure don’t make ’em like that anymore! These scenes were interesting and captivating even though “nothing” really happens. The talk about the different types of wood, when they should be cut and how they should be dried was something that is probably now a lost art. Eric Sloane, the popular historian and artist, described the same thing in one of his books, lamenting the loss of the knowledge possesed by our ancestors.
The cinematography was done by Erwin Hillier, who also filmed the next Powell/Pressburger collaboration, “I Know Where I’m Going!” That’s the movie I featured back here a year ago, because it includes Petula Clark when she was a captivating child star, before she became a captivating international singing star. DogRat reader Dave Moncur tells a funny little story about Pet’s reaction to director Michael Powell at this link.
It’s interesting that the girl, named Alison, so casually tells the local magistrate about spending two weeks in a trailer (a “caravan”) with her finance. Was it common in 1944 for an unmarried couple to spend “thirteen perfect days together,” hidden from view in a clump of trees?
So what happens? Does she stay? She’s mourning the loss of her finance in the war, but seems to be seeking intimacy. Does she marry the magistrate? Or does she fall for the soldier whose girlfriend has stopped writing to him? And who is the Glue Man and what does he do? You’ll have to watch the movie for yourself to find out.
Very good movie-making! I’d also add that in the first scene, the photography, lighting, and editing is also superb. The second scene has such a different feel to it, you almost feel like you are watching a completely different movie! Those are lovely, endearing close-ups of Sim.