If you squint hard, you may see an allegory emerging from the sight of the white Christians imposing their ways and means on a populace that was managing perfectly well without them. There is time to ponder these things, because Black Narcissus doesn’t exactly grab you in an unyielding grip – even when doors and windows of a more metaphorical nature start rattling after the handsome agent, Mr Dean (Alessandro Nivola), turns up. Black Narcissus. Come to a place where time doesn’t exist. She pushes through the tedium to present a character who exists on mental thin ice from the minute she gets to the Himalayas. Everything you need to know about Gemma Arterton's new scandalous nun drama Black Narcissus Gemma Arterton leads a star-studded cast in the series December 10, 2020 - … If you have read The Nun's Story by Kathryn Hulme or seen the film starring the exquisite Audrey Hepburn, then you will immediately recognise that Rumer Godden's Black Narcissus is a similar story transplanted to the cold windiness of the Himalayas from the feverish heat of the Belgian Congo. The filmmakers must have known about the bar set by the original—so they wouldn’t dare to retell “Black Narcissus” without a really good reason to do so, right? Remakes aren’t inherently a bad idea, but there’s something about trying to recreate unqualified masterpieces that feels particularly treacherous. ► Black Narcissus is on BBC One and iPlayer from 27 December 2020. The 2020 TV miniseries adds little to the 1947 version (aside from an extra hour of runtime), looks like it was inspired by the original's groundbreaking use of Technicolor, and has nothing new to say. But when a wounded man is found in the garden, Sister Philippa (Karen Bryson) tends to him devotedly; they can hardly leave him to suffer. Perhaps the reason for that is that the creators knew that the stakes of this story are thin for an 180-minute telling of it. Dubbed a "bizarre and exquisite little novel" by The New York Times upon its release in 1939, ... Black Narcissus miniseries premieres Nov. 23 on FX. But, for the most part, it feels as if they are just playing at it. The original film's honest sense of beauty with its setting and people sometimes feels betrayed here for the sake of atmosphere. Sadly, she’s practically alone on this remake mountaintop. With Gemma Arterton, Aisling Franciosi, Nila Aalia, Patsy Ferran. Black Narcissus (2020 - 2020) ... View All Black Narcissus News . She knows trouble when she sees it and makes sure – or tries to make sure – the prideful Clodagh is sent off with people who will keep her in check, as well as have the wherewithal to turn an abandoned mansion into a shining beacon for the faith. On the other hand, she is Anglican, so does it really matter? The mother superior is played, all too briefly but gloriously, by Diana Rigg, in one of her last roles. “Black Narcissus” constantly seems like it’s about to start exploring an interesting idea only to flit away to something else. In a year so wonderfully defined by its female-centric stories, Black Narcissus seems strangely disinterested in joining in on the conversation. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Ultimately, however, the 2020 version of Black Narcissus does surprisingly little to evolve or advance the discourse surrounding the original film. Kathleen Byron’s unhinged performance in the same role has been criticized by some over the years, but Franciosi finds a way to build on it and make the character her own. Follow. All rights reserved. Published in 1939, Black Narcissus was the third novel and first bestseller by Rumer Godden. About Tomatometer. Luckily, the production values and ensemble make the repetition at least bearable. Sun 27 Dec 2020 17.00 EST. Mr Dean warns the mission not to intervene too much – especially medically – in the lives of the villagers, lest it go badly and harm their standing and safety. © 2021 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. But, at least in the opening episode – which puts us a third of the way through the story – it doesn’t thicken into a satisfying stew. The series was adapted by Apple Tree Yard writer Amanda Coe from Rumer Godden's 1939 novel of … Clodagh is sent there by Father Roberts (Jim Broadbent) and Mother Dorothea (Diana Rigg, in her final role). A series gets an Average Tomatometer when at least 50 percent … As if they were too scared to really move beyond the text of the book and original film, there’s not much narratively significant here that’s not in the sources. FX’s “Black Narcissus” struggles for three hours to justify its existence. Last modified on Sun 27 Dec 2020 17.01 EST. The season premiere of 'Black Narcissus' will air on November 23, 2020, on FX. It is just a shame that Ruth chooses that moment, in front of a crowd of concerned onlookers, to announce that she has just seen the late, suicidal princess’s face in the mirror. The miniseries premiered on November 23, 2020 on FX in the US, and on December 27, 2020 on BBC One in the UK. Someday (we are promised), life will go back to normal and so will TV. How would they update this story? This is a very bad thing in a nun. BBC’s upcoming miniseries Black Narcissus features a cast of familiar faces, including Gemma Arterton as Sister Clodagh, and Jim Broadbent as Father Roberts. Anyway, here is Black Narcissus (BBC One), made famous by the 1947 film starring Deborah Kerr, in the form of a three-part miniseries. ... hits differently in a 2020 media landscape versus that of 1947. Honestly, if I had to attest to what the longer runtime does to the story, I’d have a tough time figuring it out beyond sheer repetition and a slower build of anxiety and dread (offset by the tedium that comes with that slower pace). What is it about Rumer Godden’s 1939 tale of a band of nuns isolated in the Himalayas that attracts film-makers? November 23, 2020. A remote clifftop palace once known as the ‘House of Women’ holds many dark secrets. The official synopsis of the series states: "Black Narcissus is an FX limited series based on the best-selling novel by Rumer Godden. “Black Narcissus” too often spins its wheels, and then, somewhat like the original, hurtles towards its dark ending. When she arrives, she meets the charismatic Mr. Dean (Alessandro Nivola), who serves as both a guide to the area and something of a temptation. Black Narcissus First 1º Season 1080p. Nuntastic! I was a bit apprehensive when I saw a mini series was being made, I vowed not to watch. A three-part event. Yes, the candles are lit when they get there, doors bang and windows rattle, and there is spooky caretaker flitting around the place (whom viewers learn used to serve the princess who threw herself off the parapet 20 years ago, for more reasons unknown). Black Narcissus is a 1947 British psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and starring Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, Sabu, David Farrar, Flora Robson, Esmond Knight, and Jean Simmons.The title refers to the Caron perfume Narcisse Noir.. Based on the 1939 novel by Rumer Godden, the film revolves around the … It stars Gemma Arterton in Kerr’s role as the ambitious Sister Clodagh, the youngest sister superior the Anglican convent has had and the driving force behind the move to establish the mission in the mountains. The seductive Dr. Fortunati of the Nun's Story becomes the British agent, Mr. Dean, in the Black … I decided to give it a chance and I was entertained. BLACK NARCISSUS Trailer (2020) Gemma Arterton New Series HD© 2020 - FX Networks Black Narcissus is an FX limited series based on the best-selling novel by Rumer Godden. Mopu, Himalayas, 1934. Mopu, Himalayas, 1934. Black Narcissus premieres 11/23 on FX. That adaption still looks and feels vital. Available for everyone, funded by readers. My Roman Catholic ancestors are shouting so hard in my ears – “They’re just playing at it!” – that my judgment may be off. One night. The fact they are trying to set up a school in an erotica-lined palace that previously housed a harem, with nothing to distract them but the handsome agent of the Indian general who owns it? It is a miniseries with three episodes with a runtime of 60 minutes. When the young nuns of St. Brian Tallerico is the Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. Anyway, here is Black Narcissus (BBC One), made famous by the 1947 film starring Deborah Kerr, in the form of a three-part miniseries. Black Narcissus 1947 is one of my favorites. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Visions of Friendship: Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin on The Climb, The Lynchian Aspirations of Losing Alice Underwhelm Rather Than Intrigue, CW Reboots Walker but Forgets to Give Him a Personality, Something as Extraordinary as Birth Itself: Kornél Mundruczó and Kata Wéber on Pieces of a Woman. Adaptation of the 1939 novel by Rumer Godden. FX's Black Narcissus series stars Gemma Arterton and Diana Rigg in a story once told with more personality and verve. With more time, one might expect more subplots for different sisters on this mountaintop but writer Amanda Coe and director Charlotte Bruus Christensen focus mostly on the triangle of Clodagh, Dean, and Sister Ruth (Aisling Franciosi), who starts to unravel from pretty much the minute she gets there. Issues of cloistered sexuality, regret, devotion, and cultural differences once again arise in the story. 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