Criterion Collection: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp | Blu-ray Review

Before the legendary British filmmaking duo of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger lensed the classics The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus or A Matter of Life & Death, they raised quite a stir with their life long tale of an aging army officer, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. The directors were working as hired guns on British war propaganda films in the midst of World War II when they started work on the picture. Featuring the well-known British cartoon icon created by David Low, Colonel Blimp was a satirical symbol of low brow soldiery and politics of the time, and when Powell and Pressburger decided to recast the character as Clive Candy, placed by the amorphous Roger Livesey, and have him befriend a German soldier, a sworn enemy of the state at the time, British officials, including Winston Churchill himself, were outraged and tried desperately to dissuade the film’s completion. The bullheaded filmmakers went ahead with the film anyhow, creating what is now regarded as a British classic that celebrates the rituals of times now passed while acknowledging the rushing winds of changing times and our habitual need to adjust to maintain relevancy. The 70-year-old film itself thankfully circumvents this notion, actually seeming more relevant than ever in our current world of constant reinvention.

Structured as a lengthy flashback that relays the military career of Candy, titled Major General in his old age, the film begins on the brink of World War II – you may know the iconic cry, ‘War starts at midnight!’ The phrase rings of the traditional rules of war, but the young British soldiers that raid the bath house in which he is relaxing let him know that the old rules no longer apply. We are then whisked away to the tale end of the Boer War where Candy sidesteps his superiors to act on a letter from a woman living in Berlin named Edith (Deborah Kerr). She’s observed an anti-British smear campaign and hopes the embassy would act in some way. Candy, flying solo, shows up to intervene, but his stringent attitude gets him in hot water with the German Army and he is forced into accepting to dual with an official equal. His opponent, Theo (Anton Walbrook), after the crucial ritual of sword and steel barbarism, befriend each other in hospital, where they are accompanied by Edith until their health has returned. An uncontested love triangle forms, Candy leaving Theo and Edith to eventually become husband and wife.

Time goes by while Candy travels around the world hunting large game, portrayed on screen in a wildly stylized scene of taxidermied heads appearing on his walls with gunshots serving as the soundtrack to his adventures. Now a Brigadier General in World War I, Candy meets a nurse in France named Barbara (also played by Kerr), who bears a striking resemblance to Edith and they soon marry despite their age gap. Once back in England, Candy ventures out to find his friend Theo whose now being held as a prisoner of war. Facing repatriation despite his disdain for the ruling Nazi party, Theo accepts an invitation from Candy to join him for dinner at his home, quickly taking up their old parts as good friends despite the political climate. After a montage of news stories, changing times and another series of hunted heads, we arrive back where we began, at the start of the second World War. Now old men, Candy helps Theo escapes the grips of Nazism and soon reveals long harbored secrets of longing for Edith. Everything is the same, except the enemies which now threaten their country with a no holds barred attitude and a hatred unfathomable.

What’s most amazing about Colonel Blimp is its uncanny portrayal of manner and tradition. With the display of militaristic discipline highlighted by the turn of the century formalism and especially in the lengthy setup of the duel cut short, the directors give much attention to the rigid manner in which military personnel interact. In Candy’s early years, soldiers took pains in everyday formalism – hats under arms, encouraging gestures of others before thy self and such – but when Candy finally embodies the Blimp we’re familiar with, wartime etiquette is thrown out the window by rambunctious young soldiers that don’t bother to smooth over the disgusting atrocities of war with a chipper smile, fancy outfits and respect for an enemy that has none for them.

Disc Review

Like the two previous Powell and Pressburger films release on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection, Colonel Blimp has received a full blown restoration. Thanks to a variety of donating funders, the Film Foundation took the original Technicolor negatives and digitally cleaned them up to near perfection. Blues and reds in particular pop, but the color and clarity are astoundingly vibrant throughout the feature. Though not as impressive as the visuals, the uncompressed monaural audio track is quite alive and warm. A perfect example is the scene in which Candy meets Edith in a German cabaret while a band plays amidst a large, boisterous crowd. As usual, the disc comes packaged in a lovely clear Criterion case with fitting artwork and the like.

Introduction by Martin Scorsese
It’s no secret that Scorsese grew up adoring Powell and Pressburger, eventually befriending Powell in his later years. Here he gives a loving introduction to the film, showing exactly how Blimp influenced his own classic, Raging Bull, not just in terms of make up for an aging men, but in shot design as well. 14 min

A Profile of “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp”
In made for TV style, this short retrospective doc features film historian Ian Christie, actor Stephen Fry and Pressburger biographer MacDonald. There are quite a few informative tidbits held within, though much of it is somewhat congratulatory. 24 min

Restoration Demonstration
As he has spent much the last couple decades trying to save his favorite films from falling into irreparable decay, Scorsese returns to speak about the arduous restoration process involved with classic films shot in Technicolor. Within there is many comparison examples that highlight all the work that went into making Blimp look wonderful again. Mold, corrosion, dirt and film shrinkage all had to be removed and corrected, and the result is somewhat mind-blowing. 5 min

Optimism and Sheer Will
Found sitting at an editing station, Powell’s wife and Scorsese’s editor Thelma Schoonmaker Powell speaks at length about the film with incredible detail on its origins with a rich personal and historical perspective on the project. 30 min

Stills Gallery
Within, there is a collection of photographs taken before and during the production, with subtitled descriptions of what’s coming up next in the slide show.

David Low’s Colonel Blimp
Another gallery of navigable stills, some disposing readable material on the famed cartoonist, some featuring photographs of the man at work, and some highlighting his most memorable works.

Audio Commentary with Directors Michael Powell and Martin Scorsese
Originally included on the film’s DVD release back in 2000, this track is actually really somewhat sleepy for something that features an enthusiastic Scorsese and his pal Powell. Apparently recorded separately, the filmmakers don’t interact. Instead, they take turns speaking with many gaps of silence in between. Scorsese always imparts fascinating information, while Powell, then well into old age with a meek old man voice, seems to only ruminate on old memories of the film’s making rather than reflecting on one of his masterpieces.

Booklet
Centered around a lengthy and loving critique by film critic Molly Haskell, this thick little booklet also contains film credits and Blu-ray transfer information, as per usual with Criterion.

Final Thoughts

Powell and Pressburger took chances with this sprawling chronicle, producing a film about their own country’s outdated outlook on war in the midst of World War II that also allows its lead to befriend a German soldier and maintain that friendship throughout years of national opposition and the rise of Nazism. Despite the governmental blow-back and years of public neglect in contrast to some of their other films, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp remains a monumental feature, ripe with still relevant themes and classic Technicolor beauty, and with its top notch restoration and an abundance of extra goodies on board, this disc is easily recommendable.