Nuns, Passion and Lipstick

Whenever the wind blows incessantly, it starts to drive us all a bit mad. The grit flies up into our eyes. The blustering and rattling becomes irritating. The flutter of air on our skin invades our personal space. Or maybe that’s just me…?!

Anyway, when the wind persists this way as it has done recently with the wild weather we’ve been having, it always makes me think of the wind in the film Black Narcissus that eventually drives the nuns over the edge - literally.

It’s one of my favourite movies in its wonderfully melodramatic handling of claustrophobia, repressed passion, longing and madness - all done on a painted set somewhere in Ealing or Pinewood to represent the Himalayas. Deborah Kerr does her best “rigid and brittle on the outside but wild and passionate if only you ripped that habit of her” performances. Kathleen Byron is fab as the lusty nun who hankers after David Farrar (in the shortest hottest pants ever to be worn by a man on screen), whose madness is evoked by her slashing gash of red lipstick at the end. And a young Jean Simmons exudes innocent sexuality as the young Indian girl in contrast to the uptight nuns.

So, if you fancy a night out with the nuns, the film club at the Dulwich Picture Gallery is showing Black Narcissus next Monday. See details below.

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GalleryFilm

A Story to Storm Your Heart! Drama at the top of the world.

Two-time Oscar winner from one of the great screen partnerships of all-time – director Michael Powell and writer Emeric Pressburger.

Five young British nuns move to the convent of the St.Faith Order - based in the Himalayan foothills. Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) is assigned as the superior sister, and her liaison with civilization is the government agent Mr. Dean (David Farrar). This lonely and exotic place and the presence of Mr. Dean awaken the innermost desires of the sisters, and Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) descends into the madness of temptation!

Starring Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson, David Farrar, Sabu, Kathleen Byron and Jean Simmons.

Ticket includes: refreshments and a draw for 2 tickets for entry to the August evening screening of GREASE (on August 16, 2007)

£8; Friends £6

Tickets from galleryfilm@yahoo.co.uk or 020 8299 1859

Getting to Dulwich Picture Gallery

Photo: thanks to cfyn.ifas.ufl.edu