British Formalism

British Formalism

Extravaganza in colours and sound: Films of Michael Powel, Emeric Pressburger,

Ken Russell, and Nicholas Roeg

Table of Contents

1) Formalist films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

2) Formalist films of Ken Russell3) Formalist films of Nicholas Roeg

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

• Michael Powell (1905-1990)

• Started his directorial career with Flaharty-inspired documentary, The Edge of the World in 1937.

• Artistic documentary of lives in a remote Scottish island.


• Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988)

• Hungarian emmigré, journalist, translator and short story writer who provided scripts for Robert Siodmak and Max Ophüls before he emigrated to England from Weimar Republic.


• Their working relationbegan when Pressburgerwas asked by AlexanderKorda to revise the script of Powell’s film,The Spy in Black (1939).

• Their first masterpiece The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)


• Creation of a production company, The Archers, under the Rank Corporation.

• ‘Written, Produced and Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’ Logo


• A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

• When a young airman miraculously survives bailing out of his aeroplane without a parachute, he falls in love with an American radio operator. But the officials in the other world realise their mistake, and despatch an angel to collect him. But he refuses to obey.


• Colour extravaganza• Techinicolor• Photography by Jack Cardiff• Mixture of black and white, and colour e.g. Reversal of the colour scheme of Wi

zard of Oz• The film’s general logic overturned The earthbound scenes in Technicolor an

d the heavenly scenes in black and white (monochrome)


• Film’s normal logic• Mundane and dreary life in black & white• Fantastic dream land in colours


• Colour logic in The Matter of Life and Death• Eternal boredom and eventlessness in Heaven• Brief but exciting life on earth


• Black Narcissus (1947)• A group of Anglo-Cathol

ic nuns open a school and a hospital in a remote Himalayan community. As they face a series of obstacles from the villagers and a hostile environment, tensions begin to grow.

• Impressive and expressive colours.


• The set of a Himalayan convent constructed in Pinewood Studio, designed by Alfred Junge.

• Photographed in Technicalor by Jack Cardiff• Extensive use of matte landscape paintings to sug

-gest mountainous environment of the Himalayas.


• Music by Brian Easdale (music was composed first and played while filming was progressing)

• Music is part of a set, lending acting an emotional edge

• A breakthrough to the musical conception of the media

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger• Red Shoes (1948)• A young ballet dancer torn

between love and career.• Extravagant colours and p

erformance to music• The Tale of Hoffman (1

951)• Three stories based on Ja

cques Offenbach’s operetta about T.A.E. Hoffman


• Matte painting background• Pastel colours


• Non-naturalistic set design


• Peeping Tom (1960)• Mark Lewis is a focus

puller in a studio. Traumatized by the abuse by his father, he is obsessed with voyeurism, which leads to murder.

• The Boy Turned Yellow (1971)

Ken Russell

• Ken Russell (1927 - ) he started his filmmakingcareer at BBC makingdocumentaries for artsprogramme, Monitor.

• Dramatized documentaries• Mainly on lives of musicians and artists: Elgar (1962) , Barto

k (1964), The Debussy Film (1965), Songs of Summer (about a British composer, Frederick Delius, 1968)

Ken Russell • The Music Lovers (1970) - biographical film on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and a free interpretation of his life based on the script of Melvyn Bragg.

• Colour extravaganza and elaborate set and costume designs.

• Fast-paced editing• Visualizing sound and music1812

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO31n8sy0r0

Ken Russell • Tommy (1975) - a musical film, based on The Who’s rock album.

• Formalist visualization of music and plot.

• Elaborate décore, costume, set design, and make ups

• Multi-camera shooting and frenetic cutting and editing

Nicholas Roeg

• Nicholas Roeg (1928 - )• Cinematographer (Truffa

ut’s Fahrenheit 451, Corman’s Masque of Red Death) turned director

• Roeg stretched the film’s expressive potentials through innovative montage and colour symbolism

Nicholas Roeg• Performance (1970)• On the run from his former

boss, hard-nosed gangster Chas hides out in the home of reclusive rock star Turner, and the two men’s lives begin to irrevocably intertwine.

• The Man Who Fell to the Earth (1976)

• The mysterious stranger, Thomas Jerome Newton, appears from nowhere to achieve fame and fortune thanks to his scientific brilliance.

Nicholas Roeg• Don’t Look Now (197

3)• After the shockingly un

expected death of their daughter, John and Laura Baxter go to Venice to recuperate, but find themselves confronted by strange premonitory visions.

Nicholas Roeg

• Venice in off-season grandure dominated the colours of muted greys and icy blues. Red worn by a dwarf stands out.

Nicholas Roeg

• Angelic daughter in red mackintosh in wintery England

Nicholas Roeg

• A dwarf serial murderer in red hood coat in wintry Venice

• Colour symbolism - death

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British Formalism