Tribute to the directors Powell and Pressburger

"I have watched these films so many times that they have become a part of my life – a reminder of the essence of life and art," says the renowned American filmmaker Martin Scorsese in his narration he provided for the documentary Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, which premiered this year at the Berlin International Film Festival. Scorsese lent his voice to David Hinton's film as a passionate admirer of one of the most influential filmmaking duos in the history of the seventh art – Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Their artistic influence on filmmakers like Scorsese, as well as on figures like Francis Ford Coppola and George Romero, extends into other arts as well. This is evident from the testimonies of musician and creator Kate Bush and choreographer Matthew Bourne. Powell and Pressburger's cinema transcends the medium and exists in the liminal space between reality and fantasy.

The two first met while working on the film The Spy in Black (1939). Directed by Michael Powell, a veteran English filmmaker active since the days of silent cinema and trained under Alfred Hitchcock, the screenplay adaptation of the book was entrusted to Emeric (originally Imre) Pressburger, a Hungarian immigrant who fled his homeland in fear of the Third Reich. It is said that on the day he left his apartment, he left the keys in the door's lock so the Nazi stormtroopers wouldn't break it down. Powell and Pressburger quickly developed a mutual admiration and immediately realized that their different life circumstances and complementary character traits would make them an ideal team. Under their production company, "The Archers," they produced 24 films together between 1939 and 1972, including a series of masterpieces in the 1940s. Often, Powell took on the direction while Pressburger focused on the screenplay, but their collaboration was not merely a symbiosis; it was a synergy – a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Their films created during World War II reflect the complexity of war, while in Europe, cinema was primarily concerned with propaganda from all sides. Their characters often embark on journeys, either upward or downward, typically a spiritual pilgrimage that also manifests as a symbolic ascent toward a tangible summit. This theme is evident in their first film featuring the Archers' logo, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), where the human spirit is depicted as blowing in the wind. The duo frequently brings stage performance to the screen, often incorporating dance and theater sequences. As a result, various types of audiences are depicted, with individual viewers merging into a single entity that experiences a powerful, shared journey. This sensation flows from the screen into the theater, creating an aesthetic thrill that arises from unforgettable visual imagery. Their use of color, and the interplay between backgrounds and characters through set design and costumes, remains wondrous to this day. Even in black and white, their virtuoso camerawork, meaningful compositions, and the fusion of choreography and music are apparent and impressive.

After the war, they released their celebrated film A Matter of Life and Death (1946), which uniquely combined Technicolor with black-and-white sequences. In the film, David Niven plays a British pilot returning from a bombing raid whose plane is shot down. During his descent, he falls desperately in love with the radio operator (Kim Hunter) guiding him. Upon reaching a celestial court in the afterlife, he must persuade the judges that love is stronger than death.

Following this, Powell and Pressburger continued to add to their list of masterpieces, including two of their most iconic works: the psychological and romantic drama Black Narcissus (1947), featuring Deborah Kerr as one of a group of Anglican nuns sent to the Himalayas, and the cinematic ballet The Red Shoes (1948), starring Moira Shearer as an ambitious dancer who acquires a pair of enchanted shoes inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's tale. To see these films in their full glory on the big screen is to experience them as they were truly meant to be seen.

In the documentary Made in England, Martin Scorsese's narration offers additional insights into their films and creative process. Scorsese is the natural choice to speak in their praise, having spearheaded the renewed appreciation of their work and developed a professional partnership with none other than Powell's third wife, Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Even 85 years after Powell and Pressburger first began their collaboration, and nearly three decades since they passed away, the wellspring of their inspiration continues to nourish the cultural world, leaving behind an eternal body of work.