MovieChat Forums > The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1944) Discussion > I very much enjoyed

I very much enjoyed

posted 13 years ago by PoppyTransfusion
12 replies | jump to latest

all the play around the different languages.

When Clive first meets Theo he doesn't speak German and Theo doesn't speak English very much! Also loved the Swedish man explaining things in English to Clive about the duel and teaching the words for start and stop in German. Clive observes that the word for start is unlikely to be called during the duel and that the word for stop will differ from the first word and being called during the duel is likely to be stop!

Clive goes to the convent for food and in conversation with the French nun manages to communicate he's eaten something and is unwell as opposed to he wants something to eat because he's hungry!

And the most interesting line, given they were our allies, to the American soldier Clive remarks that 'we don't speak the same language'!

Love all these little details that illustrate how communication can fail without patronising the various nationalities. Such deftness of touch. Perhaps Pressburger's experience of being a migrant lent sensitivity to such things.

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

[–] angelofvic 13 years ago

Ah, very good points, Poppy! I hadn't yet thought of all those things in a group. But yeah, such a well-written, intelligent script.

Of course how can you not love Theo's "Very Much" and "Not Very Much"! So well deliverd by Walbrook, too. And then Clive refers to that again in his invitation note to Theo, which isn't responded to exactly as he has hoped.

The other really groovy thing is Theo's wonderful last name: Kreschmar-Schuldorf, if I'm not mistaken, without cheating and looking it up. And then Clive later berates Murdoch for failing to remark on such a name spoken on the telephone when he was supposed to have an ear or eye out for it!
.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 13 years ago

The other really groovy thing is Theo's wonderful last name: Kreschmar-Schuldorf, if I'm not mistaken, without cheating and looking it up. And then Clive later berates Murdoch for failing to remark on such a name spoken on the telephone when he was suppoed to have an ear or eye out for it!

This was funny! I enjoyed the relationship between Clive and Murdoch. Another thing that was handled with a lightness that meant the class distinctions between them were obvious but not rammed down one's throat.

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

[–] Steve Crook 13 years ago

Powell & Pressburger enjoyed working with different languages. A lot of their films have people speaking quite long sequences in foreign languages - but they never used subtitles. They always did it in such a way so that even people who don't speak a word of that language can follow what's going on although they always assumed that the audience was reasonably intelligent and had some common sense. They never talked down to their audience, they liked to leave some things deliberately ambiguous for the audience to work out for themselves or to discuss after the film.

Pressburger spoke various different European languages, being born in Hungary, going to school in Romania then writing films in German and French before coming to Britain and working in English.

Powell was a very well travelled man and was very open to other cultures, especially for an Englishman of that period.

They both had a grounding in silent films so knew how to tell a story without words. The audience can follow what is happening even if they don't know the words being spoken.

Steve

[–] PoppyTransfusion 13 years ago

A lot of their films have people speaking quite long sequences in foreign languages - but they never used subtitles. They always did it in such a way so that even people who don't speak a word of that language can follow what's going on although they always assumed that the audience was reasonably intelligent and had some common sense. They never talked down to their audience, they liked to leave some things deliberately ambiguous for the audience to work out for themselves or to discuss after the film.

Yes I noticed that and it certainly didn't hamper understanding. It made the scene with the nun all the funnier. My sense from seeing this film of theirs is they were good at observing things as they were without adding judgements meant to influence the viewer's opinion.

They both had a grounding in silent films so knew how to tell a story without words. The audience can follow what is happening even if they don't know the words being spoken.

That's interesting - both their experience of silent films and of telling a story without words. I hadn't quite got there in my thinking re-silent films.

Interesting that Pressburger was Hungarian. Have you ever read Georges Mikes's (another Hungarian) book (forget the title) on the English? I wonder if Pressburger had?!?

I have an 11-disc collection of P&P films. A Matter of Life and Death is my next intended watch.

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

[–] Steve Crook 13 years ago

Interesting that Pressberger was Hungarian. have you ever read Georges Mikes's (another Hungarian) book (forget the title) on the English? I wonder if Pressberger had?!?

"How to be an Alien" was George Mikes' most famous and very successful book. It's really "How to be an Alien in Britain" and tells foreigners (and the British) how to expect the British to behave - in a jokey way.

It includes such gems as "Continental people have sex lives; the English have hot-water bottles."

Pressburger and Mikes certainly knew each other. They were both not only Hungarian but Jewish Hungarian. They also both became British citizens after the war.

Pressburger once said to a British friend, "You just happened to be born British. I chose to be British."

Steve

[–] PoppyTransfusion 13 years ago

That probably is the book but as I was lent it once by a colleague, an East European Jew too, I don't recall the title exactly. Love that line about hot water bottles. I remember he had some funny remarks on the English and queueing too.

After I've seen a few more P&P films I think humour might merit more discussion as it's a definite feature of this film an Black Narcissus too - the only other one of theirs I've seen thus far.

Pressburger once said to a British friend, "You just happened to be born British. I chose to be British."

I can really feel the heart in Theo from Pressburger. Imagine being able to say this of one's nationality!

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

[–] Steve Crook 13 years ago

Blimp is very much Emeric's story. Emeric was a refugee from Nazi Germany and was considered to be an "enemy alien" even while he was making all of these wonderful films with their strong but subtle propaganda messages. When they made A Canterbury Tale he wasn't allowed into East Kent because it was too close to the continent and a militarily sensitive area.

Think of Emeric as Theo and Micky Powell as Clive. Clive/Micky was a classic Englishman, brave, adventurous and daring but a bit headstrong. Then there's Theo/Emeric who knows what is going on and explains it to Clive/Micky

That's why I find their films so remarkable and eminently re-watchable is that they are all so full of details and ideas

Steve

Edit: Spelling correction "mows" -> "knows"

[–] PoppyTransfusion 13 years ago

Think of Emeric as Theo and Micky Powell as Clive. Clive/Micky was a classic Englishman, brave, adventurous and daring but a bit headstrong. Then there's Theo/Emeric who mows what is going on and explains it to Clive/Micky.

Yes I will think of them that way esp Emeric as Theo.

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

[–] vertigothic70 7 years ago

A later book by Mikes - a sequel, if you will - 'How To Be Decadent' was actually dedicated to Emeric Pressburger.

clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...

[–] Steve Crook 13 years ago

And the most interesting line, given they were our allies, to the American soldier Clive remarks that 'we don't speak the same language'!

They did a bit about the differences between the Americans and the British in A Matter of Life and Death as well

Steve

[–] MissMcCrocodile 13 years ago

Thanks.
Officially my favourite IMDb thread ever!

Yes, sir, I'm going to do nothing like she's never been done before!

[–] Steve Crook 12 years ago

I enjoyed it as well

Steve