The film was not particularly successful initially in Britain. The story is odd. Roger Livesey (who got the part of Blimp, when Olivier couldn’t get loose to play it) had been offered the Colpeper part turned it down on the ground that the story was unintelligible. Powell re=edited and add scenes to the American verision which start wiith Bob and his girlfriend (Kim Hunter) now reuntied after the war. They are discussing where to go on their homneymoon - England where he was stationed (Slidbury( and Canterbury, or to go where she was in Australia. He tells her the what happened to him there and so the film becomes a flashback. There is a clsoing piece in Canterbury where they are ni the tea parlor where he got the letters from her and she agrees that going there was the right move.
Journeys
Journeys are trips from one place to another. They can be simply a movement from one place to another or they can imply something more. As far back as ancient times when a trip may represent or symbolize something else. In some cases it may be a life journey, an indicate growing up or coming of age
Different movements from one place to another may have different names – consider words like “trek”, “journeys”, “pilgrimage”, “quest” and so on.
Pilgrimages are trips that have a religious or sometimes sentimental) connotations (although journey is often used for the latter as in sentimental journey)
There is a connection between pilgrimages and quests. A pilgrimage is generally to a sacred place where one hopes to receive some blessing or get some “absolution” from sins committed. The pilgrimage itself is a kind of penance.
A quest on the other hand is a search for something, the most famous of which is the quest for the “holy grail” (a term often used now to indicate the most important thing – The most famous missing film, Quests and pigrimages share the idea of something mystical
Canterbury is a famous city in Kent England which is known is for its Cathedral which is the center of the Church of England. It is also the place to which the pilgrims of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are wending their way.
These journeys often involve some sort of transformation. Transformations or “changes” mean going from one state (or status) to another and are generally seen as changes in status or psychological set. One might talk about a transformation in Life and Death of Colonel Blimp at the end.
These changes are often seen in “rites of passage” where ones status change from one status to another (initiations, weddings, funeral in which a person’s status goes from non-member to member; single to married (with a given person) from alive to dead). Many of these have periods of time when the person is not what they were, but not yet what they will be. These “betwixt and between” periods are known as “liminal” (from a Greek word meaning “threshold”)
The change is of course somewhat “mystical” and makes the transformation something fantastical. Fantasy, remember is something of great interest to both Powell and Pressburger. Such changes often occur in fairy tales where a perfectly friendly forest by day turns into a threatening forest by night. Turning the familiar into the strange is something which is also frightening and something which Alfred Hitchcock picked up on and liked to do in his films like The Birds.
Powell also saw films as somewhat fantastic in the sense that what you see on the screen is not necessarily real. Powell was not allowed to film in Canterbury Cathedral (one photographer managed to shoot some footage which is in the film when we see the camera tilt up to the ceiling). Much of what we see is either still photographs, models or matte paintings.
The Canterbury Tales was a book written by Chaucer in 14th Century (late 1300’s) and the book deals with stories told by the various pilgrims on their way to Canterbury (Cathedral) the mother church of the Anglican religion and the shrine of Thomas (á) Becket who was killed in the church by followers of King Henry II on 29 Dec. 1170. (T. S. Eliot's play Murder in the Cathedral, Jean Anouilh's play Becket)
Like many famous sites, the approach is important. There is a roadway which heads to Stonehenge and the road to the Canterbury Cathedral. In many cases the object being reached becomes revealed in some ways by the way the road wends its way to the point of the pilgrimage. (NIKKO - Japanese site)
A Question of “pastoralism” and English iconic imagery of itself
The film was set up as a kind of “what we are like and fight for” as opposed to “how terrible they are”. The idea of pastoralism deals with the “country” (as opposed to the city). In the English films of the period, there is a strong suggestion that the “image” of England is that of a rural England (in which much of the population had already moved to the cities and so England was not really that rural any more). A kind of dichotomy develops between urban and rural “culture” The rural and its kind of organization is sometimes called Gemeinschaft (Gemein=common, general, ordinary) and opposed to the organization of the industry or the city which is seen as Geselleschaft (gesell="social"; Gesellschaft=society, community, association, union, company, corporation, union). Gemeinschaft is often associated with craftsmanship and pride in work as opposed to mass production and loss of pride in product. They are also associated with two different “mental sets” the urban, known as Kurwille (unspontaneous, intellectual and pragmatic) while the rural is known as Wesenwille (natural, impulsive inspired) The Kurville stresses the goods while Wesenwille stresses the goods) (Tonnies)
Remember that the Ministry of Information was interested in not only showing what Nazi ideals values, but to contrast them with the British values. This film starts to focus on the British ones.
Michael Powell was born in Kent near Canterbury. So setting the film near Canterbury makes the film somewhat personal. Because there were military things in the area, Pressburger as an enemy alien was not allowed into the area. So footage had to be sent to him back in London.
AFTER THE FILM
The film’s odd structure – sort of a noir mystery in which the mystery vanishes rather early may have been part of the reason it failed. A great deal was made of the glue pouring bit. The original script had him cutting the dress which Powell thought too severe (glue pouring is less so?). Some critics thought it had sexual meaning and called the P/P pair perverted – something which would continue and climax in Powell’s Peeping Tom. There is some feeling that Livesey had turned the part down because it was unintelligible, but there was some suggestion that he was upset at the action as well as the misogynic attitudes of Colpeper and didn’t want to take the part because of that.
Once again – odd opening. Starts with pilgrims headed to Canterbury which sets the seen. Form cut moving the story forward some centuries as the falcon is transformed into a plane thereby predating Kubrick and 2001 by several million years. Typical kind of opening for Powell Pressburger film – odd. Sets up relation between pilgrims and the modern travelers to Canterbury.
Film starts again with a mystery, which is hairly rapidly solved although the film spend a good deal of time with the main chactracters looking for proof.. Who is the Glue Man? We find out almost as quickly as we find out what happens with the plane at the beginning of the film …One of Our Aircraft is Missing.
Use of American (real) to set up opposition between foreigners and British (American vs. British – sergeant’s stripes ‘upside down; dislike for tea prefers coffee. GREAT CONCERN in Britain about difficulties with American soldiers billeted there.
Again questions of links across boundaries. The American Sergeant shares much in common with woodcutter people in Chillingborough. The idea here is that people with common backgrounds from different parts of the world may have more in common with one another than those from the same country but with different backgrounds. Hence the American sergeant who knows lumber can identify with the wheelright and blacksmith (and they with him) more easily than they can identify with Alisonl
How do the terms
Is the true meaning about Gemeinschaft? Can you tell which side the film comes down on.
Pressburger said it was anti-materialistic
Where does the name come from?
What are the Canterbury Tales about? Why used here? (Pilgrimage to the Cathedral at Canterbury
What is Canterbury
Place of the murder of Thomas a Becket.
Odd group of people headed to Canterbury
What is the function of the American? How does this lead to a subtext about Anglo-American relationships? Brits saw Americans difficult (especially in large numbers) and there were clearly problems caused by the British men being conscripted and sent off, while their girls were left behind to “mingle” with American servicemen. Similarly the British soldiers in other parts of the country found women whose boy friends had gone off elsewhere with the military. Bob Johnson is atypical and what might have been a romance developing between him and Alison is kept from happening by the author. It might have produced a number of problems for the audience. Also notice the “lend lease” reference to make it clear the Brits were aware of the US program which was sending materials to the Brits although American isolationists were against it.
(There is an American release with narration by Raymond Massey and some scenes shot with American actress Kim Hunter as Sgt. Johnson’s girlfriend. She will appear in A Matter of Life and Death)
Watch for other P/P films with Anglo American relations in them – Col Blimp; Matter of Life and Death Remember that 49th Parallel also dealt with those relationships trying to motivate US into WWII
Similar to 49th Parallel in its structure in that each person has their own story which needs to be resolved at the end via the blessing of the church. For Alison, her boyfriend is alive and his father is now accepting of her (he waited 2 weeks for her); the Sgt’s girlfriend has written to him but the letters went astray. The British sergeant gets to play the organ in Canterbury. Colpepper is not turned in.
Music is often important in Powell Pressburger films We have mentioned the idea of a “composed film” starting with 49th Parallel
In Canterbury Tale these pieces are used. Watch editing with Toccota and Fugue in d minor and the later marching of the soldiers into the church.
Reference to “I kiss your hand madam” as in ...one of our aircraft is missing
Notice “mystical theme” when Canterbury is revealed. Also sound track produced what Alison hears (horses, voices) which are internal as Colpeper points out. Mystical aspect.
Powell interested in mystical as is Colpeper (one might want to argue for an identification between Colpeper and Powell)
Powell interested in seeing (watching) conversations about film (reflexive) Again lists, schedules, time tables
Old vs. new; city vs country --- some liking of both old amd new
Some discussion of the questions of guilt and innocents in the disccion on the train about whether or not Culpeper is guilty or not. Remember that most good writers and directors are revealing something about their personal philosophies.
Photography:
Alison’s first appearance: noir like – back lit, sophisticated clothes, smoking.
Opening very noir – dark streets, odd shapes “city is dangerous and threatening”
Alison appears as femme fatale back lit. Sophisticated (clothing – regularly noticed; smokes)
Alison’s black out registered on film. We hear the sounds of the pilgrims from the opening of the film when Alison hears them, but Colpeper does not. He claims they come from inside. (again internal state shown)
look through camera at end when sergeant friend shows up. Looking runs through Powell”s films See Peeping Tom
Technically, the crew was not allowed to film in the Cathedral although on cameraman slipped in and diid one "tilt" shot which goes up to show the ceiling. All the other interior shots were done with models, photographs and mattes.
Powell is interested in telling the story visually.
As the train arrives in Caterbury the camera movements become more and more active. When Gibbs walks to the polcie station the camera moves with him; Once he is in the Cathedral, the camera moves more and has more varied angles in the shooting. When the first :"miracle occurs (Gibbs gets to play the organ) the camera virually starts to "dance" with the music. This is one fo the moments in which the "composed film idea becomes very apparent. As the film moves outside to follow Alison on the way to her "miracle", the music shifts from a diegetic organ to a non diegetic orchestra which continues with the piece. The camera continues to move following the troops into the Catherdral. At point the inspector enters the Cathedral and the organist asks Gibbs if he wants to see him and he shakes his head. Culpeper's blessing has occurred. Bob gets the letters from his girl friend and his blessing occurs as well. The film's move from the mundame word to the mystical is marked by the shift in camera movement and hence the film itself experiences a kind of miraculous change as well.