The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

7/2/06

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is based (apparently quite loosely) on the cartoons of David Low, and chronicles the 40+ year military career of officer Clive Candy. Roger Livesey gives a strong endearing performance as the career officer, aided by one of the most convincing make-up jobs of character aging I've ever seen in a film, from any period. Life and Death was the first Technicolor spectacle from the production team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (here after known as P&P), a writing and directing partnership that the New Yorker magazine has accurately described as "purveyors of high kitsch". While in form the film might seem an odd composite of the comic and mellowdramatic, it's acutely quite a moving story that explores a large tapestry of themes including aging, love, friendship, ethics & warfair, as well as the long and complicated history of German/English relations. Anton Walbrook plays Clives old friend Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff, a German character who is incredibly nuanced for one found in a World War Two era film. Deborah Kerr (a P&P favorite) plays three roles in the film, all expressions of Clives ideal female type. Presented in P&P's fanciful style Colonel Blimp is The Red Shoes for men.