Search - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp [Criterion Collection] on DVD

Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1943 DVD Release: 10/22/2002 Format: DVD Edition: Dual Layered,Restored/Remastered Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 43 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 30 Genres: Drama, Romantic Drama, Period Film, British Empire Film See Also: Essential Art House: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp [Criterion Collection]

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's much-lauded epic Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, which satirizes British traditionalism, stirred up impassioned hostilities and indignations among the Brits when released in 1943. It so infuriated Winston Churchill, in fact, that he refused to allow its exportation to other countries, particularly the U.S. When Blimp finally did premiere in the States in 1945, it screened in a drastically cut version. The sweeping story covers several decades. It begins at the tail end of the Boer War, when handsome young British officer Clive Candy, recently back from the battlefront, is infuriated by his discovery that Deutschland papers have played up the British atrocities in South Africa, propagandistically. He grows so irate, in fact, that he travels to Germany to address the problem. Once there, he meets an attractive British educator, Edith Hunter (Deborah Kerr) who spends her days teaching English as a second language to German students. They grow close, but Candy so aggravates the local indigenes that he winds up in a duel with a German officer, Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff (Anton Walbrook). The men wound each other and are sent to the same hospital, where they become friends. Candy - who doesn't yet realize he's fallen in love with Edith -- senses that Theo and Edith are attracted to one another, and encourages the couple's marital union. Candy subsequently returns to England, then falls for and marries Barbara (again played by Kerr), a nurse who bears a strong resemblance to Edith. She later dies, but Candy meets a third woman during WWII, Johnny (Kerr a third time), assigned to drive him from one locale to another during his campaigns. Meanwhile, Theo - disgusted by Nazi atrocities -- absconds to England, where he reencounters his old friend, now a prattering old shuffler rapidly approaching the end of his career and raving continuously about Nazi conduct (or lack thereof) in battle. Powell and Pressberger adapted Colonel Blimp from a comic strip; it became one of the hallmarks of their careers. ~ Sidney Jenkins, All Movie Guide

Roger Livesey - Clive Candy
Deborah Kerr - Barbara Wynne
Deborah Kerr - Edith Hunter
Deborah Kerr - Johnny Cannon
Anton Walbrook - Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff
Roland Culver - Col. Betteridge
Albert Lieven - Von Ritter
Spencer Trevor - Period Blimp
James McKechnie - Spud Wilson

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by Michael Powell and Martin Scorsese, a half-hour documentary on the making of the film, production stills, and a sampling of Colonel Blimp cartoons. This disc is just one more example of why Criterion has become one of the most respected names in home video. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide