The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943 Powell & Pressburger)

That Time Out review that celebrates the film for its 'generosity of spirit' is exactly the right thing to say about this pinnacle of British cinema, this gold standard of screenplays. Not just about war either - but a celebration of love and friendship. (Interestingly, Derek Malcolm also uses exactly the same phrase in his review in 'A Century of Films' published 2000.)

I have waffled on about it many times. In the key scene - that slow track in on ageing Anton Walbrook / Pressburger, as he explains why he needs to be back in England - notice how the officer behind him, though out of focus, stops what he's doing to listen. It's one superb take, lasting 2 minutes 35 seconds, and the camera starts pulling back out as it ends.

And everything else in the film is as good as that.

It's a bit of an epic, and by far their most serious work, pulled off in the height of the war (Churchill tried to ban it), which just makes it all the more extraordinary.

Deborah Kerr turned twenty one during the filming. (Wendy Hiller, the original choice, became pregnant.) Roger Livesey's wife Ursula Jeans is Walbrook's date at the first bridge game. James McKechnie is 'Spud'.

The pub is still there - The Bull in Gerrard's Cross.

Difficulty level: high

It existed for years in severely truncated forms and was only restored in 1983. It came in at 45 on the BFI's 1999 100 Greatest British films - should have been #1. (AMOLAD is at 20, The Red Shoes no. 9.)

The Time Out 2018 poll (which included Mike Leigh, Sam Mendes & Wes Anderson) placed Red Shoes at 5, AMOLAD at 6, Blimp at 14, Black Narcissus at 16, Canterbury Tale at 17, IKWIG at 26... Much more like it!

"This is dead cow crossroads." Sure I also heard a reference to "corned horse"!

Talking of which, I liked the note in Kevin Macdonald's book: like Clive and Theo, 'Emeric and Michael frequently addressed each other as 'old horse' (or variations: 'antique stallion, 'viejo caballo' etc) or as 'Holmes and Watson' (Emeric was Holmes; Michael, Watson).'

I guess it must be a double for Livesey when he falls into the pool, and emerges, without edit, as young Blimp. Must have been. Otherwise..?