Less a primer on the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and more of a deep dive for those already steeped in their filmography, David Hinton’s documentary—featuring onscreen host and Archers enthusiast Martin Scorsese—richly rewards those familiar with movies such as The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, and A Matter of Life and Death. Encountering their films on television as a child, Scorsese has a formative, emotional attachment to the work, but he backs that up with trenchant observations about their enduring thematic concerns (what it means to be British; a belief in the power and danger of art) and experimental brilliance (few filmmakers have so ingeniously employed Technicolor, set design, and background paintings). Unless you’ve seen every Archers’ film, you’ll come away with at least two you’ll want to track down immediately after watching Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger. And you’ll want to revisit Scorsese titles like Raging Bull and The Age of Innocence to fully appreciate how their work directly influenced his.
(7/24/2024)
