Black Narcissus is a film that follows a group of nuns from the Convent of the Order of the Servants of Mary
when they move into a remote palace in Mopu, in the Himalayas, to set up a hospital and school for the village
people. The story is focused on Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) as she becomes the Sister Superior of the newly
named House of St Faith, and Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron), as she starts to question her oath of celibacy as Mr
Dean (David Farrar) causes her to develop feeling for him. Over the
course of the film, Sister Ruth is seen to become increasingly uncertain
about her commitment to the Order. When a baby dies, and they are to
blame, the whole village shuns the sisters. Mr Dean advises Sister
Clodagh to leave the palace, unknowingly overheard by Sister Ruth.
That night, Sister Clodagh sees a light under Sister Ruths door, and
when the door opens Sister Ruth has swapped her nuns habit for a red
evening dress. She tells Sister Clodagh that she is leaving the Order
immediately and although Sister Clodagh tries to stop her she rushes
out of the room, and no-one is able to stop her. Sister Ruth makes her
way to Mr Deans house where she confesses her love for him, but
when he rejects her she leaves alone. This is when the film starts to
become a horror, Sister Ruth is seen to be watching Sister Clodagh in
the nunnerys chapel, before she attacks Sister Clodagh, by trying to
push her off the edge of the mountain as she is ringing the morning
bell, although it ends up being Sister Ruth that falls to her death. The
film ends as the Sisters abandon the nunnery and are met by Mr Dean
one last time where he says goodbye to Sister Clodagh
Fig 1. Black Narcissus Movie Poster
Black Narcissus uses very strong colour and lighting choices
to convey the moods and feelings of the characters and to
show the changes that happen over the course of the film.
Almost all of the drama in the [original] novel occurs in
the characters minds, yet somehow Powell transposes all
of it into action, music and most significantly, atmosphere.
It is melodrama of the highest order () [The] sense of
atmosphere and externalised emotion is best illustrated in
the penultimate sequence where crazed Sister Ruth hunts
down and tries to kill Sister Clodagh in a blaze of reds,
pinks, oranges and greens [(see figure 2)]. (Lukas, 2009)
Fig 2. When the crazed Sister Ruth tries to kill Sister Clodagh
The directors of Black Narcissus- Michael Powell and Emeric
Pressburger used a highly sophisticated colour palette in the
film that dramatically changed from the beginning to the end.
In the beginning the colours could be described as neutral,
virgin colours which reflect the Sisters absolute devotion to
the Order (see figure 3). However, the colours used towards
the end of the film could be described as heavily
expressionistic, sexual and theatrical, which reflect the
changes that are seen in the characters, especially the crazed
Sister Ruth as she tries to leave the Order, and ultimately tries
to murder Sister Clodagh. As Michael Mirasol suggests To
see the film progress from cold and indifferent to brooding
Fig 3. Directors use of neutral colours and almost supernatural shows Powells mastery of tone. He
depicts the nuns mountain enclave as an ashen and distant; colourless as the sisterhoods singular devotion of
their vocation. The local Indian populace is backdropped
with vibrant colour, looking more natural and lively. But it
is in the second half of the film where Powells use of
Technicolor is stunning. The introduction of the more
vibrant hues dominate the film. The use of red is feverish.
(Mirasol, 2010) The strong use of red in the second half of
the film (for example, see figure 4) allows the audience to
clearly see a shift in the thoughts of the characters, as the
reds starts to appear when Sister Ruth decides she is
leaving the Order. Also, it is when the whole genre of the
film changes as it shifts from a Melodrama to, in some
ways, a horror as Sister Ruth becomes a crazed woman who tries of murder Sister Clodagh. This use of red
connotes all things from sexual tension and Sister Ruths Fig 4. The directors clear use of the colour red
defiance to the change into a horror film, used to connote blood and murder. The film includes a lot of
contrasting colour choices which connotes the ongoing battle of the nuns decision to commit to the order and
stay celibate. [Sister Clodaghs] struggle between piety and passion is reflected in the vibrant clash of
complementary colours infusing every aspect of the mise en scene, from the lighting to the set design. () Cool
restraint (green/blue) is forever duelling with fiery passion (red/orange). (Bowen, 2004) In the beginning of the
film the colours in the set design and the lighting used are very cool and neutral, and then at the end the colours
and lighting used are much fierier, which is symbolic of the changes that take place.
Illustration List
Figure 1 Black Narcissus Movie Poster (1947) [poster] At:
https://d32qys9a6wm9no.cloudfront.net/images/movies/poster/70/70afbf2259b4449d8ae1429e054df1b1_500
x735.jpg
Figure 2 Film Still of crazed Sister Ruth and Sister Clodagh (1947) [film still] At:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7f/53/11/7f53118fd40f7a0584563899844f69aa.jpg
Figure 3 Film still showing neutral colours (1947) [film still] At: https://cf.geekdo-
images.com/images/pic1260702.jpg
Figure 4 Film still showing the use of the colour red (1947) [film still] At: http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/03/black-narcissus-3.png
Bibliography
Bowen, M (2004) Blue Nun/ Red Desire: The Palette of Piety, Passion, and Monstrosity in Black Narcissus In:
Powell-pressburger.org [online] At: http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/47_BN/MMB.html (Accessed
on 15/11/2017)
Lukas, K (2009) Black Narcissus In: Senses of Cinema [online] At: http://sensesofcinema.com/2009/cteq/black-
narcissus/ (Accessed on 15/11/2017)
Mirasol, M (2010) Black Narcissus Which Electrified Scorsese In: Roger Ebert [online] At:
https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/black-narcissus-which-electrified-scorsese (Accessed on
15/11/2017)
