Black Narcissi

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someone she hardly knows purely through the repressed feelings she has of sexuality that

has been forsaken in her religion.

This repression of lust and sexuality is a form of psychoanalysis that the nuns have had

kept within themselves, hidden away in order to live out their lives as nuns. Throughout

the film you start to understand the struggles of Sister Coldagh and Sister Ruth for a nun.Especially during the time when woman were looked at as woman who should not be

outspoken or show their true desires, woman with no equal rights, it must have been a

struggle as feelings of sexuality were suppressed deep in a place where they were not

allowed to show or even acknowledge them. A sacred vow has been taken for God and so

lust and sex is no longer available to them and this in itself becomes more desirable as it is

the forbidden fruit, for what they cannot have they desire even more.

The feelings that grow inside Ruth eventually lead to her sexual frustration manifesting

into something real. She cannot escape her feelings any longer and decides to quit the

convent, so she can be with her love Mr. Dean. One of the most intense scenes is also one of the

simplest: Sister Ruth applying lipstick. This seemingly prosaic event, shot in choker close-up and

vivid color, powerfully signifies her final parting with her pious life and in fact signals the end for

the nuns tenure. Powell is at his most imaginative in the scenes with this character, perhaps

stimulated by her rejection of propriety and order. He lingers on close-ups of her face, one of the

most beautiful and evocative in British cinema, tracking her descent into madness sometimes with

uncomfortably close shots of her eyes Morris, G (s.n.). Eyes were used a lot to evoke this

directness with the viewer and you can see that from the beginning of the film the eyes are

looked upon as gentle and soft which then turns dark, tired and unfamiliar as we see a

transformation in the nun.


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(Figure 2) Sister Ruth

(Figure 3) Sister Ruth

As Ruth seconds to her sexual desires she starts to act slightly deranges like there is a

demon inside of her that she has been fighting with and has won and has turned into the

new Ruth. The one that has taken off the white robes and exchanged them for a dress and

wears makeup. There is the sexual arousal of Sister Ruth who casts aside her habit and

puts on a red dress and thick red lipstick in her bid for Mr. Dean's affections Brussat, F and

Brussat, M (1970-2012). She starts to turn into someone unrecognizable in the end as she

is turned by Mr. Dean as he does not love her in return. This rejection leads to Ruths evil

rath against Sister Coldagh as jealousy rages through her because she believes Mr. Dean is

in fact in love with her. Ruth goes after Coldagh in a way that makes her appear to be an

animal, uncanny in this matter because she starts to form the appearance of the demon that

she was fighting within.


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(Figure 4) Red Light Shining on Ruth

Throughout the film there are hints of color that surround the scene to show this lust and

sexual desire being brought out from inside the Nuns. You start to understand the language

use through color and see that the lust that is within is being brought out. This colour red is

the colour of sexual desire and lust so it is fitting in the way that it lights up the scene to

express the emotions of the character thats from within.


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Illustration

Figure 1.

Black Narcissus Poster(1947) From: Black NarcisussDirected by: Michael Powell and

Emeric Pressburger. [Poster] United Kingdom. General Film Distributors.

URL:http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fH35d54jWqg/TLxMEE72-

dI/AAAAAAAAAvc/3c19DaXSte4/s400/black-narcissus1.jpg

Figure 2.

Black Narcissus Poster,Sister Ruth(1947) From: Black NarcisussDirected by: Michael

Powell and Emeric Pressburger. [Poster] United Kingdom. General Film Distributors.

URL:http://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2010/10/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-

7f898.jpg

Figure 3.

Byron, KathleenBlack Narcissus [Poster] United Kingdom. General Film Distributors.

URL:https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0624/5b2edcc3ddc3c/5b2edcc77faaf.jpg

Red Light Shining onSister Ruth(1947) From: Black NarcisussDirected by: Michael

Powell and Emeric Pressburger. [Poster] United Kingdom. General Film Distributors.

URL:https://d2nh4f9cbhlobh.cloudfront.net/_uploads/galleries/33408/balck2.jpg

Bibliography

Walter, M (1978/9) Black Narcissus Reviews of Powel and Pressburger Work (9)

URL:http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/47_BN/Walker.html

[Online]

(Accessed on 22.11.13)

Morrison, G (s.n.) Powell & Pressburguers Black Narcissus DVD Review by Garry Morris

URL:http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue10/reviews/blacknarcissus/

[Online]
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fH35d54jWqg/TLxMEE72-dI/AAAAAAAAAvc/3c19DaXSte4/s400/black-narcissus1.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fH35d54jWqg/TLxMEE72-dI/AAAAAAAAAvc/3c19DaXSte4/s400/black-narcissus1.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fH35d54jWqg/TLxMEE72-dI/AAAAAAAAAvc/3c19DaXSte4/s400/black-narcissus1.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fH35d54jWqg/TLxMEE72-dI/AAAAAAAAAvc/3c19DaXSte4/s400/black-narcissus1.jpghttp://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2010/10/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpghttp://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2010/10/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpghttp://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2010/10/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpghttp://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2010/10/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpghttp://www.notcoming.com/images/reviews/l/blacknarcissus.jpghttp://www.notcoming.com/images/reviews/l/blacknarcissus.jpghttps://d2nh4f9cbhlobh.cloudfront.net/_uploads/galleries/33408/balck2.jpghttps://d2nh4f9cbhlobh.cloudfront.net/_uploads/galleries/33408/balck2.jpghttps://d2nh4f9cbhlobh.cloudfront.net/_uploads/galleries/33408/balck2.jpghttp://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/47_BN/Walker.htmlhttp://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/47_BN/Walker.htmlhttp://www.imagesjournal.com/issue10/reviews/blacknarcissus/http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue10/reviews/blacknarcissus/http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue10/reviews/blacknarcissus/http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue10/reviews/blacknarcissus/http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/47_BN/Walker.htmlhttps://d2nh4f9cbhlobh.cloudfront.net/_uploads/galleries/33408/balck2.jpghttp://www.notcoming.com/images/reviews/l/blacknarcissus.jpghttp://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2010/10/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpghttp://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2010/10/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fH35d54jWqg/TLxMEE72-dI/AAAAAAAAAvc/3c19DaXSte4/s400/black-narcissus1.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fH35d54jWqg/TLxMEE72-dI/AAAAAAAAAvc/3c19DaXSte4/s400/black-narcissus1.jpg


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Brussat, F and Brussat, M (1970-2012) Black Narcissus Spirituality & Practice

URL:http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=20119

[Online]

http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=20119http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=20119http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=20119http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=20119

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Black Narcissi