Presented and narrated by Martin Scorsese, Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Scorsese’s longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, was briefly married to filmmaker Michael Powell until his death in 1990.

Maybe it was because of my headspace while watching the Blu-ray but I just found Scorsese’s narration to be very dry. It’s possible that you might enjoy the film better than I did. To each their own, of course, as your milage may vary. We learn about the filmmakers through Scorsese’s lens. It’s as if he is teaching a specialized course in film school, only it’s an entire video essay. In any event, the film has three nominations at this weekend’s Critics Choice Documentary Awards. It is up for Best Narration, Archival Documentary, and Historical Documentary.

Synopsis

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.” With Made in England 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.

Bonus Features

• Theatrical Trailer

DIRECTOR: David Hinton
NARRATOR: Martin Scorsese
FEATURING: Martin Scorsese, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Cohen Media Group released Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger in theaters on July 12, 2024.

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