Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1947 Black Narcissus may be the most beautiful film ever made. A film in which the plot and the scenery change roles, as the plot fades to the background and you are left to admire the beautiful scenery brought to the forefront. The story tells of a group of Calcutta nuns who are sent to establish a missionary school in The Himalayas. There they face not only the treachery of the physical conditions, but the temptations which challenge their religious vows. Although the plot of this once controversial film has become stale, the scenery of the Himalayan mountains is good enough to be used in the Planet Earth series. The camerawork is really unthinkable for the time it was released. Also the ending is quite effective as well.
***1/2
