Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger celebrates the cinematic geniuses behind The Red Shoes and other iconic British films 

David Hinton (The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind) directs this documentary on the films of Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell, with rare archival material from the personal collections of Powell, Pressburger, and Martin Scorsese, who speaks in depth about these two cinematic giants and their films. (131 min.)

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of The Cohen Media Group
• OLD-SCHOOL Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, and their crew appear in this archival photo, one of many archival elements displayed in the documentary Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, screening at the Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo.

Glen Movie lovers, this is a must-see. Scorsese explains how Powell and Pressburger's films were inspirational to his own career. I just eat this stuff up. I recently read Quentin Tarantino's 2022 book Cinema Speculations, in which he breaks down his formative film-watching years and the movies that inspired his style. Such a great read. This documentary offers similar insights into Scorsese's career and examines some amazing films, most of which I haven't seen. I know The Red Shoes, but now The Tales of Hoffman, Black Narcissus, and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp are on my watch list. The films are theatrical and larger than life, and these two filmmakers were groundbreaking.

Anna This film gets into the nitty-gritty of filmmaking, but it's meant not just for movie lovers but lovers of movie history, style, and those who totally nerd out on finding connections between directors and creators of the past and our greats now. There were a lot of films in here that I was unfamiliar with, but having Scorsese walk us through them and draw attention to specific styling, details, and insights is fascinating. This film has a specific audience in mind, but movie buffs and particularly those who love old movies will likely find this film intoxicating. Scorsese is a wonderful guide, and his depth of knowledge can't be challenged. I loved hearing him talk about how these films influenced his own, drawing literal connections between scenes. I know I used the word fascinating once already, but it truly is.

Glen Now that the SLO International Film Festival has taken over the Palm Theatre, this film and their screening of The Red Shoes this week (see below) is the kind of innovative programing we can expect to see in the future. The Palm also screened Black Narcissus last week. Scorsese met Powell in 1974 and found a director virtually blackballed from the film industry, and their friendship is explored in the documentary. We learn, for instance, that Scorsese was instrumental in generating renewed interest in Powell's 1960 horror film Peeping Tom, which in turn spurred interest in Powell and Pressburger's oeuvre. It's a terrific story.

Anna Scorsese is a wealth of knowledge on all things film, and seeing and hearing the inside scoop is great. It's a treat to watch films through the eyes of those who know them best, and it makes one appreciate the real art and technical detail that goes into filmmaking. Not only did this film give me a list of old movies to seek out, but it renewed my vigor for film in general. See this and The Red Shoes for a real dose of film culture.

Glen As Scorsese said, "Certain films you simply run all the time, and you live with them. As you grow older, they grow deeper. I'm not sure how it happens, but it does. For me, that body of work is a wondrous presence, a constant source of energy, and a reminder of what life and art are all about." Δ

Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at [email protected].