Initially, it was an order: during the advance of the Allied troops in Europe in 1944, the staff noted that clashes between American and English soldiers were frequent. It is therefore a question of reconciling everyone. Renowned filmmakers, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger then imagine a fable in which an English airman is shot down, but survives: an angel is sent to convince him to accept his destiny, in paradise for airmen. But, as he rebels, he has to go before a jury made up of judges who are ill-disposed towards the British… From the start, the decision is made by the production to distinguish the scenes from “the other world” (filmed in black and white) and the real scenes (in color): good idea, except that in 1945, color film is extremely rare. So we will wait. Powell and Pressburger, to wait, shoot “I know where I’m going”.
trick festival
Having got their hands on a limited supply of color film, the two directors make a bizarre decision. The black and white scenes will be filmed in Technicolor, with manipulation during development which will allow images to be produced on film in color but in monochrome. Jack Cardiff, the director of photography, is going to tear his hair out. He must invent tricks – he has time, since the film, held by the army, will not be available for nine months. The result, however, is remarkable. The plasticity of the images is astonishing.
Another problem: the special effects, for lack of means, are rudimentary. So when the hero (David Niven) wakes up on a beach, it takes mist. There isn’t (it’s the “maximum hassle” rule on set: anything that can go wrong will go wrong). Cardiff then finds the best way to do it: he fogs up the camera lens by blowing on it… Result: a charming film, which has aged gracefully and has contributed (we want to believe) to a good understanding between two nations separated by the same language.
Monday, May 1 at 9 p.m. on OCS Géants. British drama by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (1946). Starring David Niven, Kim Hunter. 1h44. (Multicast and On Demand).
