Still image from Powell & Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.Roger Livesey and Deborag Kerr stand up against a wall whilst staring at each other closely.

Film

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

  • 2h 37m

Free

Coming soon

Attributes

  • Duration 2h 37m

UK | Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger | Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook


During WWII General Clive Wynne-Candy is a veteran overseeing a squad of men who he doesn’t have the respect of, but it was not always that way. We revisit his days as a dashing young officer in the Boer War and WWI, whose life was shaped by three different women (all played by Deborah Kerr) and his lasting friendship with a German soldier. A film considered unpatriotic by Winston Churchill, who tried to halt the release, it is now recognised as a masterpiece of 20th century filmmaking. A wonderfully rich, nuanced, darkly witty and humanist with beautiful photography by Jack Cardiff, and with a career best performance by Barry boy Roger Livesey.

Screening as part of Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell + Pressburger, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network. bfi.org.uk/powell-and-pressburger.

Welsh Legend: Roger Livesey

Powell and Pressburger set up The Archers studio with the aim to have the greatest talent in the land and a key part of the acting troupe was Barry-born Roger Livesey. The Livesey acting dynasty are ripe for rediscovery by Wales and we are excited to present to you two of his greatest films – the anti-war epic The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and the romantic comedy I Know Where I’m Going, with an illustrated talk by film historian Mark Fuller using items from the BFI archive.

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