The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - 1943

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are fast becoming two of my favourite filmmakers. Over the past year I have enjoyed watching their films from the famous; Black Narcissus, A Matter of Life and Death or The Red Shoes (which I recently saw in a digitally restored print at the BFI or the less famous A Canterbury Tale and I Know Where I'm Going. Despite having seen only a handful of their films, I am convinced The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is the most accomplished, beautiful and brilliant piece of cinema they ever created. Even surpassing my previous favourite, Peeping Tom.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp tells the story of Major General Clive Wynne-Candy, and his experiences fighting in 3 Wars. The film uses a rather effective framing device which picks up the story during the Second World War when Wynne-Candy is one of the founding members of the Home Front. From there, through a clever dissolve we flash back forty years to meet, a much younger, fitter and decidedly more Roger Livesay looking Wynne-Candy.

Over the next two and bit hours through stunning performances from Livesay, who portrays the General over the entire 40 yrs, aged using some of the finest make-up effects I've ever seen, Anton Walbrook - fast becoming one of the most underrated actors in my opinion, as life long friend Theodor Kretschmar-Schuldorff and Deborah Kerr, playing three different characters, but essentially fulfilling the role of Wynne-Candy's love interest.

What marks this film out as the mastepiece that it is, is not only its innovative flourishes, such as the a scene which sees Wynne-Candy prepare for a sword fight with Walbrook's Kretschmar-Schuldorff, only the the camera to pull back, out of the hall, and sweep down before dissolving into a shot of Kerr waiting in a carriage, to its hilarious humour and rollicking good story. All the actors are clearly enjoying themselves but never at the expense of the story, or the theme. Powell and Pressburger's script zips with great lines and inventive storytelling techniques, never missing an opportunity to push the boundaries of cinema.

That this film was made during the war, and is now over 50 years old, highlights the astonishing achievement the filmmakers achieved, but also that it feels as vibrant and fresh today as it must have upon its initial release. The film also doesn't lose any of its controversial standpoint, allowing us to empathise and even love Walbrook's German officer, at a time when Britain was deep into conflict with the Germans. What is even more shocking, and helps to explain the reasons Churchill attempted to have the films production shut down (although this was not based on the finished film), is that its Kretschmar-Schuldorff who recognises and adjusts to the changing and shifting shape of war, especially the new enemy which are the Nazi's. While Wynne-Candy becomes an archaic figure, representative of the British war effort, and those running it. In this way the film was seen as a satire upon release, and in many it is, as biting as it is funny.

The film is also intrinsically British, and proud to be such, and in this way it is also utterly enjoyable. The film is proud of the British heritage, and strength of our character, and wears this pride on its sleeve. But Powell and Pressburger are also deeply aware of the effect of such Britishness and lampoon it through Wynne-Candy's caricature.

Very few films aim to achieve as much cinematically, culturally and historically as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and even fewer succeed with such aplomb. One of, if not the greatest British film ever made, Colonel Blimp will last forever, and forever bring joy and wonder to its audiences.