Martin Scorsese’s deep love of film shines through in his exploration of the marvelous movies by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. As directors with a true artist’s eye, Powell and Pressburger crafted some of Britain’s most imaginative and meaningful pictures. Through their company, The Archers, they strove to elevate cinema as an expressive art.
In Made in England, Scorsese brings their extraordinary body of work to new viewers. With infectious passion, he shares insights into their techniques and themes—and how deeply their films enriched his own career. At the documentary’s heart, of course, are illuminating clips and discussions that bring Powell and Pressburger’s brilliance alive. From The Red Shoes to Black Narcissus, their images leave a lasting imprint.
What makes this documentary so wonderful is Scorsese’s obvious joy in celebration. He treats cinema not as formula but as expressions of life. With Made in England, he honors Powell and Pressburger’s legacy and reminds us why their movies remain enthralling decades on. So join Scorsese on this enthusiastic journey—you’ll leave eager to discover more of these remarkable storytellers’ magic for yourself.
Celebrating Cinematic Visionaries
Working as The Archers, Powell and Pressburger brought a true artistic flair to each film. Their collaborative process gave life to daring, imaginative stories told with such visual splendor. Through close analysis, Scorsese sheds light on their groundbreaking techniques that still inspire filmmakers today.
Take their iconic work, The Red Shoes. The climactic ballet sequence, filmed in one continuous take, transports viewers inside the dancer’s experience. We feel her obsession through Powell’s innovative photography, centered close to mimic her perspective onstage. Without cuts or distance, the intensely kinetic rhythms of dance and emotion immerse us completely.
Black Narcissus shows a similar flair, locating its convent drama within the surreal heights of the Himalayas. Wonders like the nuns’ cliffside garden, perched impossibly in thin air, showed Powell molding atmosphere through unconventional angles and challenging locations. Nature itself seems to take on poetic meaning in his hands.
Throughout, Powell and Pressburger filled frames with dense symbolic imagery. Yet they balanced spectacle with profound themes. In A Matter of Life and Death, heavenly and earthly realms blend as a pilot chooses between planes of existence while falling for an American woman. Multilayered stories like this saw the pair elevating war-torn spirits through vivid escapism and affirming life’s beauty.
From intimate character pieces to ambitious productions, Powell and Pressburger blended genres while questioning what stories cinema could tell. Their legacy inspires Scorsese and all who open wide to the wonder of their still-startling cinematic visions.
Emerging Themes
Certain topics seemed to recur in Powell and Pressburger’s works, reflecting their unique perspectives. Scorsese illuminates how some echoed the times while others showed a contrasting view.
WWII clearly loomed large for these filmmakers. Films like One of Our Aircraft is Missing and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp spotlighted the flawed yet redeemable humanity within opposing sides. The latter followed a character across decades, showing the war’s emotional toll and how ideals change with the passing years.
Some works examined spiritual matters. Black Narcissus explored repressed desires intertwining with religious devotion, while A Matter of Life and Death contrasted earthly love with the hereafter. Their nuanced tales plumb life’s deepest questions in visually striking fashion.
Contrastingly, Powell and Pressburger swam against cynicism rising in post-war noir. Films like A Canterbury Tale and I Know Where I’m Going radiated hope and optimism that souls might break free from societal traps. Their spirited heroines and message of renewing faith in life’s simplicities left an impact.
Scorsese reflects how these films nurtured his own outlook. He draws parallels between Blimp’s interrogation of idealism and Taxi Driver’s hero grappling his place in a disenchanted world. Sequences like Raging Bull’s climactic fight channel the immersive power of Red Shoes’ ballet. Both duos transformed private visions into universal artistic triumphs.
Their explorations persist in sparking new insight, proving certain themes are always ripe for fresh examination. Audiences remain in debt to these cinematic adventurers for broadening cinema’s scope through border-breaking stories.
Rekindling Forgotten Films
Martin Scorsese has long played a key role in preserving neglected cinematic history. His advocacy helped renew appreciation for Powell and Pressburger’s works during a period where they’d fallen into obscurity.
When Scorsese befriended Powell in the 1970s, the director’s acclaimed films from decades prior received little attention. Distributors had cut them, while changing tastes sidelined their unique visions. Only scrappy TV prints introduced Powell’s art to a young Scorsese.
Establishing the World Cinema Foundation, Scorsese targeted lost international treasures for restoration. Collaborating with film scholars and archives, restoration brought neglected pioneers’ works to modern audiences as the artists intended. Powell and Pressburger’s films underwent this labor of love.
Scorsese spoke passionately about their visual craftsmanship, storytelling talents, and influence on his own techniques. By sharing insight into how sequences like Red Shoes inspired later triumphs, he kept their legacy vibrant. His documentaries curated cinematic history for new generations to discover.
When restoration screened restored prints, acclaim followed. Powell’s career-defining films regained their prestige. Scholarship reassessed his allegedly cold-shouldered Peeping Tom as ahead of its time. Scorsese played a part in this reevaluation, affirming history remembers diverse talents.
Scorsese continues rescuing disappear films that expand our understanding. Thanks to his preservation work, cinema lovers can appreciate Powell and Pressburger’s incredible worlds as vivid today as when first seen. Their spirit lives on in the artists who revive forgotten pioneers’ inspiring works.
Passionate Preservation
Few directors exhibit Martin Scorsese’s commitment to cinematic heritage. Meeting Powell inspired exploring overlooked pioneers through restoration. Their admiration grew as Scorsese grasped Powell’s innovations.
The red shoes left an indelible mark. Its visuals remained with Scorsese for decades. When filming Raging Bull’s climactic fight, he channeled Powell’s fluid sequences conveying a character’s inner state. Just as Powell placed viewers in the dancer’s shoes, Scorsese situates audiences inside Jake LaMotta’s ferocity.
Scorese witnessed Powell’s resilience firsthand. Blacklisted after Peeping Tom, Powell lived simply despite vast talents. They later collaborated, reexamining his ahead-of-its-time thriller. Scorsese saw beyond controversy to the filmmaker’s panache, helping revive appreciation for a trailblazing career.
Their bond strengthened through sharing cinema’s transformative magic. Powell bestowed knowledge and confidence in Scorsese’s skills. In turn, Scorsese provided conversation and creativity and honored Powell’s gifts long after his passing.
Scorsese continues ensuring timeless works find audiences. From Powell, he learned film’s potential for personal expression and cultural impact. By preserving The Archers’ legacy, Scorsese pays forward the influence of a director who expanded his understanding of the medium and craft. Their union of inspiration and action ensures cinema’s past illuminates its promising future.
Passion and Pitfalls
Made in England shines as a love letter to British cinema greats Powell and Pressburger. Scorsese’s insiders passion transports viewers yet risks exposing innocent eyes.
By prioritizing collaborations, solo works understandably take backseats. Focus brings clarity but leaves contexts incomplete. Still, canonical joints receive inspired analysis, imparting lifelong influence.
Where the documentary succeeds most, it also stumbles. In relaying parallels between classic scenes and his own career, Scorsese gives away key reveals. While ardent fans celebrate rediscovery, fresh patrons face unwanted revelations.
Nuance matters. For initiates, rich perspective and craft breakdowns prove treasured guides into a storied filmography. Yet unfamiliar crowds risk spoilage on crucial plot points. Care would better protect surprising delights for the unseen.
Overall, Made in England presents a fond tribute to cinema forebears. But recommendations change considering audience familiarity. Novices may do best with selected clips before committed screening. For loyal Archers acolytes, it offers cherished communion with a shared cinematic language. Both love and learning emerge, with some cautions for the previously untouched.
A Personal Tribute to British Cinema Masters
This film serves as both a primer and a tribute to Powell and Pressburger’s cinematic journey. Their works dazzled with innovative storytelling and visual style, elevating issues of their time. From wartime propaganda to passionate romances, each explored what it means to be human.
While postwar critics overlooked these talents, time proved their genius. Works like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp remain required viewing for understanding conflict’s toll. The Red Shoes shows why their craft endures, depicting art’s seduction and cost through ballet’s graceful torment.
Enter Scorsese. As a child entranced by their magic, he grew to appreciate their mastery. Becoming friends with Powell, he helped revive appreciation through restoration. Scorsese ensured their legacy of creative risks and life lessons for all.
Made in England serves as Scorsese’s personal tribute, essaying each film with researcher’s zeal and fan’s glee. Novices gain entry to British cinema history; veterans rediscover forgotten friends. Most importantly, it sparks the discovery of works that expand minds and lift spirits and still feel as vital as at their peak. The Archers crafted movie dreams, and this film ensures their light shines for all time.
The Review
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
Made in England proves a thoughtful tribute to masters of the craft. With passion and care, Scorsese honors Powell and Pressburger's contributions and ensures their legacy of joy and insight lives on. Both primer and love letter, it rightly celebrates cinema for its potential to challenge, inspire, and transport.
PROS
- Illuminating insight into Powell and Pressburger's filmmaking process and artistic vision
- Scorsese's knowledgeable narration, bringing the films to life
- Celebrates the legacy of hugely influential British filmmakers
- Inspires discovery and reappraisal of their important body of work
CONS
- Heavy spoiler elements may lessen impact for those unfamiliar.
- Lacks contextualization of solo and later films outside partnerships
- Potentially overwhelming depth for those new to Powell and Pressburger
