A CANTERBURY TALE
(Eagle-Lion) |F Michael Powell, who wrote the story for this film, had kept his wits about him-if he had confined himself to the sound, central theme instead of adding to it a silly little mystery which is about as welcome as a fily-paper in a First Folio-A Canterbury Tale might have been the picture of the year for me. As it is, though the film fails to make the first grade, it is one that will be remembered for many minor excel. lencies. Mainly, I think it will be remembered for the American member of the cast, Sgt. John Sweet, who takes the part of an American sergeant and acts as naturally as he breathes, but the film is memorable, too, for the skill shown by the director (Emeric Pressburger) who seems to have had a deeper insight into the spiritual implications of the main theme than Michael Powell, and who has used his cast and his cameras with both sensibility and wit. The photography is particularly fine and a good deal of this excellence is due to the amount of work done away from sets and sound-stages. In fact, one gets the impression that the whole studio went to Canterbury and made the film on the way. What they made is, in the main, good, and should not be missed. A Canterbury Tale was filmed, as far as I can find out, about 1944, and, as the Americans would say, was made "on a shoestring." I have seen many pictures which cost a lot more and were worth less-q.v., as the lexicographers succinctly put it.,
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19480102.2.29.1.1
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 445, 2 January 1948, Page 14
Word count
Tapeke kupu
269A CANTERBURY TALE New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 445, 2 January 1948, Page 14
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in