Age of Consent

Tags

1960's, Age of Consent, Drama, Helen Mirren, Jack MacGowran, James Mason, Michael Powell, Neva Carr Glyn

Film Title

Age of Consent

Director

Michael Powell

Starring

• James Mason as Bradley Morahan
• Helen Mirren as Cora Ryan
• Jack MacGowran as Nat Kelly
• Neva Carr Glyn as Ma Ryan

One of the last movies made by the great visionary director Michael Powell, Age of Consent may not be his finest work but it has a lot to recommend and it is far from a disaster. It just could have done with some tweaks here and there along the way.

Bradley Morahan is a jaded artist who of late has found inspiration hard to come by. Disillusioned with his life in New York, he decides to return to his native Australia, so he can find something to get his creative mind going again. He ventures to a tropical island on The Great Barrier Reef were he sets up in a shack, that is mainly quiet and seems ideal for him to regain a sense of purpose once more. While on the island he encounters Cora Ryan; a highly spirited young girl who sells fish that she catches and occasionally steals as a way to get money. Cora is kept under the watchful eye of her alcohol swigging old crone of a grandmother who tries to keep the girl on a tight leash and constantly insists on observing whatever she does. Something about the wild and striking Cora catches Bradley off guard and as he gets to know her, he begins to feel a sense of protection and care for her. Cora herself wants to escape the island and head for Brisbane, which is why she has been saving whatever money she can. Knowing that she wants to escape and earn money enough to do so, Bradley asks the young girl to pose for paintings for him. It seems that Cora has given Bradley his inspiration back and she continues to pose for him, often in the nude. Yet Ma Ryan is constantly on the look out for something to catch Cora out on anything and Bradley’s nuisance of a friend Nat Kelly arrives to disturb him. In the midst of this, a gentle friendship begins between Bradley and Cora, yet as Cora is growing into a young and very beautiful woman, she begins to feel a sense of love towards Bradley that she can’t quite explain as she has never known someone take such an interest in her before that felt genuine.

Michael Powell was a master at creating stunning visuals and with Age of Consent it is very much on show. Using the Great Barrier Reef as a backdrop, he shows the natural beauty of the place and how it combined with the youthful Cora give some inspiration back to Bradley. Age of Consent does deal with themes of blooming sexuality in the case of Cora, but it doesn’t feel salacious which is what it could have become with someone else directing. Instead, Powell conjures a lyrical beauty to the themes and examines Cora’s transformation with erotic strokes that are still very classy and non-exploitative. A particularly striking scene of erotic nature that is given beauty is when Cora is swimming underwater in the nude and Bradley paints. It may sound quite perverse, but the way the scene is shot is anything but that, focusing more on the tranquil beauty of the place and Cora’s ever-growing sensuality as she slowly swims among the colourful coral. Just like the relationship between Bradley and Cora that could have been made into some sleazy story, Powell keeps the characters strictly as artist and muse rather than him being the older man making a move on an impressionable girl. Where Age of Consent falls down is in the pacing and addition of comedy that really ruins parts of the film. The pace is meandering for the most part, but is thankfully given the occasional jolt of electricity it needs. It’s the comedy sub-plots involving Nat Kelly and his skirt-chasing antics that really do damage to the film. The comedy is just so needless and undoes some of the work that has been crafted very well before. Thankfully, there is a lush score that distracts from said antics and brings us back to the main story of the artist getting his mojo back and a young girl approaching womanhood.

James Mason is typically excellent in this film, giving us a jaded man who becomes more relaxed once he gets his inspiration back again. Mason is reliably good in this part. Yet it is a young Helen Mirren, in one of her first movies who really catches the eye here. As the young girl slowly blossoming into a beautiful young woman and beginning to realize it, Helen Mirren invests Cora with a youthful innocence, wild temperament and blooming sexuality. As the film progresses, Cora begins to see that she is turning into a young woman yet doesn’t quite know how to feel about it. In the hands of Mirren, the character really becomes something else and not just the bombshell beach babe that she could have been made into in the hands of another actress. It is with this role that Mirren became noticed as it provided hints at the talents of her and the sense of sexuality she could bring to the screen. Jack MacGowran can be sometimes amusing in his role, but the part becomes really aggravating after a while because of the way the character is written as a jester and nothing else. Neva Carr Glyn plays the role of the shrieking old harridan very well, making Cora’s grandmother a really nasty piece of work who it is understandable that you’d want to get away from as soon as possible.

So though it is wildly uneven in tone and often filled with some needless sub-plots, the vision of Michael Powell, the tranquil beauty of the setting and the earthy appeal of a young Helen Mirren ensure that Age of Consent is far more substantial than it could have been.

Black Narcissus

Tags

1940's, Black Narcissus, David Farrar, Deborah Kerr, Emeric Pressburger, Flora Robson, Jean Simmons, Kathleen Byron, Michael Powell, Powell and Pressburger, Sabu

Film Title

Black Narcissus

Directors

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Cast

• Deborah Kerr as Sister Clodagh
• David Farrar as Mr.Dean
• Kathleen Byron as Sister Ruth
• Flora Robson as Sister Phillipa
• Sabu as the Young General
• Jean Simmons as Kanchi
• Jenny Laird as Sister Honey
• Judith Furse as Sister Briony
• May Hallatt as Angu Ayah

A psychological study of an order of nuns set in the Himalayas, Black Narcissus is a bold, daring and at times deeply unsettling look at religious turmoil and the effects a place can have on the mind and senses. If you are looking for a film that is a feast for the eyes but also for the brain, Black Narcissus is the film that I would advise you to watch.

Sister Clodagh struggles to cope with her newly appointed duty

The story centres on five nuns who are invited to a palace high up in the Himalayas. Their duty is to open a convent, which will also double as a hospital and school. Heading this mission is young Sister Clodagh who has recently been promoted to Sister Superior, although she is unsure of whether she is the one to fulfil and uphold this difficult job. The palace  was once a harem and the debauched shadows of this time linger on as the Sisters attempt to convert it into a place of purity and worship. Although the Sisters try to remain true to the vows they have taken, temptation takes many forms causing doubt amongst the quintet. Another story is that of the Young General who comes to the convent to learn and falls for the beautiful dancing girl Kanchi, despite the differences in class and morals. It is from the General that the film takes its title, as he wears a perfume scented with it. The strange atmosphere and remote surroundings causes a crisis of faith to sweep the place like a fever, as each of the nuns begins to experience feelings of deep uncertainty. The most frightening example of this is the pathological jealousy of the unstable Sister Ruth as she falls for the handsome Mr.Dean but becomes convinced that Sister Clodagh also has a soft spot for him. This leads to a terrifying and utterly intense final act.

Jealous Sister Ruth begins to crumble because of her desire.

From the opening scenes of the Himalayas to the hysteria caused by the exotic former harem, the film is an enchanting viewing, mainly because of its rich cinematography. A prime example of this is the scenes in which Sister Clodagh has flashbacks to her time before she became a servant of God. The use of colour accentuates the freedom she had before this and lets us into the mindset of this inexperienced young woman trying to keep things in order. As well as this, the set design is outstanding, making the palace an unnerving place with drafty corridors and murals that reveal the debauchery that occurred years before. The presence of an elderly ayah who is prone to shrieks of manic laughter and remarks about how the nuns will succumb to the atmosphere, also adds to the creepiness that is felt throughout the picture. Powell once said that this was one of the most erotic films he ever made, and after viewing it I would agree with his statement. But when I say erotic I don’t mean it in the sense of what we see in the cinema today. It is all done with subtle instances and non explicit references. Sister Ruth unveiled without her habit, clad in a crimson dress applying lipstick, Mr.Dean’s many advances and remarks towards Sister Clodagh, the first sight of Kanchi slowly but seductively eating a papaya and many other instances.

The ringing of the morning bell.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, the cinematography and set design should be praised, but the performances of the cast should also be justly given notice. Deborah Kerr exudes emotional turmoil and regret as Sister Clodagh, all of this is done by her expressive eyes that tell the whole story of this woman out of her depth in the exotica of the former harem. Kathleen Byron as the unstable Sister Ruth is splendidly sinister and cunning, her snake-like smile sending shivers down the spine and her eyes being used to scary effect in the climatic scenes. The supporting players, no matter how big or small the role, each add something to this strange and utterly bewitching tale of faith, repressed emotions and the frailties of the psyche when confronted with a challenge.

This is a drama film that asks deep questions yet never gives the easy answer. Powell and Pressburger have created a film of heightened emotions in the most unlikely of places and circumstances. Prepare to be left chewing the cud after the movie has finished. If you haven’t seen it, please give it a watch as I’m sure you will find something to engage your interest.  Black Narcissus is a must see, both for its visual flourishes and its intensely dramatic story of conflict and faith.