The NW Film Center is showing The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp this weekend, a rare treat that Portland-based folks will want to check out.
While I hope to do a full review of the film one day (I doubt I'll be making it out to see it myself, alas), the Portland Mercury asked me to do a capsule review this week, and I share it here because I think these short bursts (50-100 words) require a certain talent and style unto themselves. You can read a slightly edited version in the paper this week, or on their website.
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF
COLONEL BLIMP Though buoyant entertainment through and through, this 1943
Powell & Pressburger movie smuggles a sturdy “war is hell” message in its
titular hero’s walrus mustache. The Technicolor adaptation of David Low’s comic
strips tracks a British career soldier through three wars. Fueled by the
filmmakers’ usual visual panache and a tremendous performance from Roger
Livesey, Colonel Blimp shows how
youthful ideals can be overtaken by the obsolescence of age, leading to a
bittersweet finish that pays honest tribute to the brave men who answer when
duty calls. JAMIE S. RICH NW Film Center
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