British Films of the 1940s

The 1940s in Great Britain were a very interesting time in cinema not in the least due to the country being at war, but also the changing social norms and societal shifts that war brought with it. At the beginning of the war, cinemas were temporarily closed, as they thought the light they would produce would be a target for German air raids. They quickly re-opened however, with the government realising the potential of cinema to boost morale, entertain and to distribute wartime propaganda. What I find interesting is that many of the films at such a time when you would think conservatism would be high, are rather transgressive in terms of gender roles and sexuality; and also deal with complex emotions about nationalism and Britishness during a time of great uncertainty and fear. 

The 49th Parallel (1941) Powell and Pressburger 

The 49th Parallel is the second film Powell and Pressburger made in the 1940s. The 49th Parallel is a circle of latitude and is supposed to locate US-Canadian border international border. The BMI approached the duo asking them to make a propaganda film, and the film was intended to show the then neutral Americans that the threat of war was right on their doorstep.The plot is simple: six marooned Nazi sailors are shipwrecked in Hudson Bay. They attempt to avoid capture by sneaking across Canada with a goal to get into the neutral USA territory. Despite trying to travel incognito, they manage to reveal their evil "Naziness" by brutalising a range of characters in the film, including a dashing Laurence Olivier who plays a French Canadian Trapper. There are a range of other brave men and the propaganda is clear in this film. Not Powell and Pressburger's best film, but definitely worth watching in terms of it's social comment at the beginning of the war. In light of the new Brad Pitt film 'Fury' it's clear to see that propaganda films are still being made today with great popularity. The difference being that the latter is not open about its intentions as propaganda, but masquerades it behind a heavy disguise of overt masculinity. The film can be seen here


Brief Encounter (1945) David Lean (director) Noel Coward (screenplay)

This is perhaps my favourite British film of the 40s. It's material is progressive and even feminist in the agency of the female lead. Celia Johnson, playing Laura, the happy, if a little bored, middle class wife, has a chance meeting with Alec (Trevor Howard) in a train station tea shop. The two develop an easy friendship, and quickly fall in love. What is interesting about this film is that her marriage, while a little dull is fairly happy, and her husband is kind and affectionate. The love affair is never demonised and she is not punished for loving outside her marriage. She never stops loving her husband or children, but she feels a passionate love for Alec, who is also married. The film shared the Grand Prix du Festival International du film (predecessor to the Palme d'Or) at Cannes in 1946 with the notable Roma, città aperta by Rossellini and Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend - both excellent films in their own right. 

Black Narcissus (1947) Powell and Pressburger (directors)
This film is based on the novel by the same name by Rumer Godden. It's about a group of nuns who are invited to make use of an old harem located high in the Himalayas. The tensions of trying to create a convent and church in the 'house of women' is the beginning of the mounting tensions in this beautifully constructed film. The main character, Sister Clodagh is played by Deborah Kerr who captures the naivety and innocence of a young Sister Superior. The nuns are surrounded by sensuality, both in their convent's history and in the landscape and people of the mountain. The local British Agent, Mr Dean, played by a laid back and charming David Farrar, creates jealousy and obsession with Clodagh and the mentally unstable Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron). One can almost imagine the characters of sister Ruth and Sister Clodagh to be two parts of the same psyche, with one giving into lust and madness. The film builds to a terrifying climax with incredible cinematography. Although shot entirely on sets in the Ealing studio, the backdrop nevertheless feels incredibly real and luscious. Shot in beautiful technicolour, this film is a real visual delight, as well as being a tense psychological thriller.