Film: Made in England - The Films of Powell and Pressburger

Today, last film of the week - I went to see Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, closest showing in The Curzon Bloomsbury. As usual, much easier to book on the app - but even that isn't without its problems, constantly telling me there's a problem with my payment method right before sending me a purchase receipt! Freaky..

I left in good time, but bus delays meant I was a teensy bit late. Seriously, it was so frustrating on the last bus, whose driver must have been the slowest in London.. Anyway, I wasn't doing without my glass of Spy Valley - and have discovered how to get my membership QR code on the app (if not the actual ticket) - which makes it easier for them to give me my members' discount. I arrived in the screen just as the opening credits were finishing - only had to push past two people, at least.

The entire thing is narrated by Martin Scorsese. And wow, it's a passion project for him - turns out that Michael Powell was a hero of his when he was growing up, and Powell & Pressburger films - released under The Archers label - had a huge effect on his own! He describes how he saw them on TV - ironically, American film distributors wouldn't sell to television, but British ones would. Originally seeing them in black and white, he describes the revelation of seeing them in Technicolor, and how their use of colour influenced his own. But even before that, he was captivated by their use of fantasy, of surrealism..

We begin with Scorsese's own story of meeting Powell, tracking him down in the obscure cottage he lived in after his career took a nosedive. It was Scorsese who got him back working in film, as a script editor - in fact, he even married a colleague of Scorsese!

Most of the film, however, is a testament - both to Powell & Pressburger's films, and also showing clips of Scorsese's films and explaining how they were influenced by them. We get so many films.. (honestly, it's terrific, but the runtime does feel a bit long..). Some I'd seen, on TV on Saturday afternoons as a kid. Others I hadn't, and several titles I recognised from recent London film listings - I'm guessing the BFI is doing a season of them! I never realised they were all Powell & Pressburgers.. I'll make a note of that, when I hear of them next.

By and large, they were known for a subversive take on narrative, turning things upside-down - and for the fantasy and surrealism that they incorporated into stories. Another striking trait was Powell's yen to incorporate different art forms into his films - such as ballet (The Red Shoes, based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale about a girl who craves to dance, and who finds magical red shoes that allow her to do so - but then won't let her stop), or opera (The Tales of Hoffman).

This might be a long watch - but it's truly a film for people who love film. Highly recommended - go, rediscover the inventiveness of Powell & Pressburger!

Afterwards, I noticed that Nando's has reopened! But I fancied GBK, and carried on to there - where I was, for the first time in weeks, offered a choice between grilled chicken, or chicken in breadcrumbs! I chose grilled - I find it handier, now. They didn't have my usual Sauvignon Blanc, so I went for the house white, and was given a choice of South Africa or Italy. South Africa it was - and very nice indeed.

Tomorrow, back for the first time since St. Patrick's Day with Buddies on a Budget (BoB) in London - we're off to The Globe for Richard III. With a woman in the title role.. could be interesting. Ah, The Globe - must be summer! Mind you, I still have to break it to them that I won't be standing, as they will.. And I can walk there - I've booked a table in The Anchor for dinner beforehand.

On Wednesday, for once, I'm staying in - I have a Zoom talk given by the writers of a book called Seven Myths that Changed England. Turns out it's an LSE event.. and blast it, I saw it on cheap ticket sites, but it turns out to be completely free.. actually, I might head to the in-person event instead, I'll see how I feel. It is supposed to rain.

On Thursday, I'm with London Social and Cultural Meetups, first time in months - we're going to a photo exhibition at Estorick. Then I'm back to Ireland for the next bank holiday.

On the 28th, another of those cheap ticket talks - this one is by Asne Seierstad, and is at The Conduit, on the subject of Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

On the 29th, back with London Literary Walks at last - my Wednesdays are just so busy! This is a walk about Island Records - U2's old label, so of course I have an interest.. We're meeting in The Elgin.

And on the 30th, back with London Hot 100 - we're at the New Wimbledon Theatre for Jimmy Carr Laughs Funny.