Art of Film with Ian Nathan on Sky Arts: Episode 1: The Unique Styles of Powell and Pressburger

 

The first episode in this brand new series from 3DD Productions on Sky Arts looks at the background, the collaboration and the films created by director Michael Powell and writer/producer Emerick Pressburger. Or as they were known: The Archers. Presenter Ian Nathan called them "the greatest creative partnership in British cinema". Ian talks to Chris Auty, head of producing at the National Film and Television School who gives us a short biography of the two. Simon Heffer, a historian, tells us it was "two geniuses meeting". We also hear from producer Stephen Woolley and Steven Armstrong. 

So, how did they meet? It was  producer Alexander Korda who thought that Powell's Spy in Black needed a re-write and he knew the right man. They found that they were just right for each other and that was when they decided to confirm their relationship with The Archers as their logo.

Their wartime films started with U-Boat 29 in 1939 followed by Contraband in 1940 and 49th Parallel in 1941 starring Leslie Howard and Laurence Olivier. One of our Aircraft is Missing was released in 1942 and continued those propaganda movies supported by the government. But they always had a unique subtext and subtle characterisation. Such as the important movie from 1943 The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. We were told that the two main characters reflected Powell and Pressburger themselves. It was about how war had changed and what it was like being British and the identity of the nation. How to treasure eccentricities. 

A Canterbury Tale in 1944 used a Chaucer story to describe British and American unity before D Day. We see the final scene of the film in Canterbury Cathedral and a service for the troops before they leave for France. The sweeping vistas of Kent show the Englishness of the setting. In 1945 came I Know Where I'm Going and then the following year David Niven starred in the extraordinary A Matter of Lfe and Death. Steven Armstrong said it was one of their greatest films with it's novel vision of heaven. In 1947 they released Black Narcissus and the following year came the iconic movie The Red Shoes. Ian Nathan tells us that it was a hugely expensive production that combined ballet, theatre, music and drama. This was "art in the making". Some of the cinematography was unconventional and ground-breaking. 

The Small Back Room came in 1949 and The Tales of Hoffman 1951. Then followed a film I may have seen at the time. The Battle of the River Plate was released in 1956 and it seems so familiar. More of a diplomatic story than a war film. Their partnership officially ended the following year. They were called great British eccentrics, although one was certainly not British. An amazing partnership.