Powell and Pressburger's humane masterpiece

rmc5

The film opens in 1942. A group of young soldiers rush to speak to General Clive Candy, a stubborn military leader who has stated that war is near and called for military training exercises. The soldiers think Candy is old-fashioned, and at this point that might also be the opinion of the audience. But then Powell and Pressburger step backward 40 years to show what drives this man. A disagreement caused the young Candy to wind up fighting a duel with a German officer named Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff. Strangely enough, the two became close friends. At first they couldn't easily interact, as they didn't speak the same language. But they immediately formed a connection. They were separated for many years and during that time Theo learned English. Their next meeting was initially a hostile one, but eventually they began to move forward in their relationship. Then they were separated again until they finally reunited in England as old men.

Over the years Candy loved many women. The first, a governess named Edith Hunter, became the wife to Theo, but both Candy and Theo outlived her. Candy tried to find another Edith in his wife Barbara, and his final love came late in life in his female chauffeur, Angela. The character of Clive Candy was loosely based on a newspaper cartoon figure with similar qualities: stubbornness, fearlessness, and a clear moral position. In the midst of World War II and all the political drama of 1940s Europe, Powell and Pressburger managed to create a complete portrayal of a full life.

This film is more grounded in reality than A Matter of Life and Death, but it does present some fantastic elements: Kerr's acting in three roles (albeit they are similar characters) and the non-linear narrative structure. Powell and Pressburger focus on the experience gained through a lifetime—a plot thread that contrasts greatly with the youth-oriented themes of contemporary films. Roger Livesey convincingly ages 40 years, the saturated Technicolor cinematography and vibrant art direction add to the warm, inviting feel of the film, and the quirky characters and situations are enjoyable. The directors come up with many creative ways to signal the passage of time or a flashback and the musical theme that plays whenever Candy sees are thinks about one of his loves is memorable. Anton Walbrook matches his work in The Red Shoes, not least in an affecting single-shot monologue where he describes his character's family and how his character came to leave Germany. This film needs to be as long as it is because it tackles a big subject. If The Red Shoes is Powell and Pressburger's "art in cinema" masterpiece and Black Narcissus is The Archers' atmospheric masterpiece, then The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is their humane masterpiece. 9/10.

score 9/10

rmc5 16 October 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1194670/