If you are already a Powell and Pressburger aficionado, this highly personal documentary, hosted and produced by Martin Scorsese, will be catnip. I found it positively thrilling. If you are unfamiliar with their notable work from the 1940s—The Red Shoes, A Matter of Life and Death, Black Narcissus, et al—it will serve as a unique and indelible introduction. Either way, Made in England is a towering achievement that I would call a “must-see.”
Whenever he talks about films he cares about, Martin Scorsese is mesmerizing. Here, he not only speaks with conviction but personal experience—from the time he first set eyes on The Thief of Bagdad on local New York television (in black & white) to his later friendship with Michael Powell. He even illustrates how concepts from their innovative films influenced his work, notably the boxing scenes in Raging Bull, which drew inspiration from the ballet in The Red Shoes!
I was already familiar with the trajectory of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s joint career but I didn’t know the backstory and raison d’etre of their most significant films, which Scorsese lays out clearly and definitively. His manner is straightforward and unaffected; he could be speaking to you over a dinner table. The beautiful-looking film clips have been carefully and lovingly chosen. Kudos to director David Hinton and his collaborators for crafting one of the best films ever made about filmmakers.
This documentary ought to be compulsory viewing for young and/or aspiring screenwriters and directors, as a cautionary tale that illustrates how far someone will go to protect his independence. Powell and Pressburger enjoyed great success, punctuated by failures and fraught relationships with their backers. They were natural born storytellers, and all they wanted was to spin their inimitably offbeat tales without interference. In that sense, as well as others, Martin Scorsese is their spiritual descendant.
Made in England opens Friday, July 12 in New York City at the Quad Cinema, followed by a Los Angeles booking July 26 at the Landmark NuArt. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyDBQghgPFw