Part of Made In England: Powell and Pressburger x6
Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Powell and Pressburger when he was a child, sitting in front of the family TV. When their famous logo came up on screen, Scorsese says, “You knew you were in for fantasy, wonder, magic — real film magic.” Now, in this documentary, he tells the story of his lifelong love-affair with their movies, including THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP, BLACK NARCISSUS, THE RED SHOES and THE TALES OF HOFFMANN.
“Certain films you simply run all the time and you live with them.” Scorsese says. “As you grow older they grow deeper. I’m not sure how it happens, but it does. For me, that body of work is a wondrous presence, a constant source of energy, and a reminder of what life and art are all about.” Drawing on a rich array of archive material, Scorsese explores in full the collaboration between the Englishman Powell and the Hungarian Pressburger — two romantics and idealists, who thrived in the face of adversity during World War II but were eventually brought low by the film industry of the 1950’s. Scorsese celebrates their ability to create “subversive commercial movies” and describes how deeply their films have influenced his own work.
"A movingly sincere valentine from a filmmaker now due his own equivalent tributes, shortening the distance between youthful discovery and senior nostalgia." —Guy Lodge, Variety
“MADE IN ENGLAND is more than a great filmmaker’s genuflection. It’s a welcome introductory immersion for newcomers to Powell and Pressburger and, for old hands, a way to connect the dots of their films and their singular place in the history of cinema.” —Ty Burr, Washington Post
"The work of filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is discussed with passion and authority by Martin Scorsese in this richly enjoyable documentary, for which he presents his thoughts and recollections directly to camera." —Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
