Hoezo in KINO

Director of Photography Jack Cardiff took inspiration from Dutch light magician Johannes Vermeer for the look of the early nunsploitation, Black Narcissus, a film about burning desires and questions of faith unfolding in the confines of a monastery perched high on a Himalayan mountain. The dazzling heights and overwhelming vistas of the film were all created on-set with meticulously crafted matte paintings and miniatures, giving the film an almost ‘living painting’ quality. The heart of the film is the battle of wills between the mother superior and a disobedient nun, played with verve by Deborah Kerr and Kathleen Byron respectively, both fighting to maintain their sanity in this inhospitable outpost. Black Narcissus is a vision of a film, taking the Technicolor format to new heights (pun intended) with bright reds and greens against the granite mountain walls and the close-ups of heated faces framed by white wimples. English language without subtitles.