The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  The magic of the Powell & Pressburger directing and producing team has never been more prevalent or as affecting as it was than with their World War II character study epic The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Heralded as one of, if not THE greatest British film ever made, its… More
  The magic of the Powell & Pressburger directing and producing team has never been more prevalent or as affecting as it was than with their World War II character study epic The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Heralded as one of, if not THE greatest British film ever made, its power lies soley in its performances and its dialogue. People that see it as nothing more than a pro-war statement seem to miss the point completely. To me, it's about what Colonel Candy goes through at the end of the film: not understanding what to do, even if you think you know you do. That sums up the film's overall message to me. If it were a pro-war statement, then he'd know exactly what to do. That's a sort of simple-minded view, but it's one I picked up on early on. Roger Livesey, Anton Walbrook and Deborah Kerr are magic, and their performances still have the power to affect. A colossally-well made piece of cinema.

• Bathsheba M

  
  This film is an interesting look at young people looking at old people...what you see is a paunchy old guy with a moustache, but as the old guy says, "You don't know anything about me," and of course the movie endeavors then to tell us all about the old guy. It was a… More
  This film is an interesting look at young people looking at old people...what you see is a paunchy old guy with a moustache, but as the old guy says, "You don't know anything about me," and of course the movie endeavors then to tell us all about the old guy. It was a little humbling to realize that we are the last generation alive who heard first hand accounts from the turn-of-the century crowd and when we die it goes with us. But this movie is a marvelous film archive of what it was like then.

• Jonathan H

  
  How amazing is Anton Walbrook? He steals almost every scene he's in.

• Ken S

  
  Delightfully charming and British.

• Anthony L

  
  The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp isn't just my favourite Powell & Pressburger film, it has shot right to the top section of my favourite films of all time. It's amazing to think that this was actually shot during the blitz in 1943. No wonder Mr. Churchill wasn't… More
  The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp isn't just my favourite Powell & Pressburger film, it has shot right to the top section of my favourite films of all time. It's amazing to think that this was actually shot during the blitz in 1943. No wonder Mr. Churchill wasn't impressed but I think the main message of what it is to be British was totally misunderstood as being unpatriotic at the time. I would love to know what people who watched it at the time thought of it, when many of the films of the time were, understandably, laden with propaganda. A truly brilliant film, with brilliant performances and one of the best written scripts in the history of cinema. I can't recommend it enough, it is an absolute joy!

• Cassandra M

  
  Neither war films nor romances rate amongst my favourite film genres. Colonel Blimp is both of these and has to rate as my runaway favourite film. Made in 1943 by the irreplaceable icons of British film making Powell and Pressburger it displays a pacy breathless brilliance since… More
  Neither war films nor romances rate amongst my favourite film genres. Colonel Blimp is both of these and has to rate as my runaway favourite film. Made in 1943 by the irreplaceable icons of British film making Powell and Pressburger it displays a pacy breathless brilliance since unparalleled on the big screen. The film follows the life and times of General Wynne-Candy from when he is an idealistic young officer returned on leave from the Boer War through to his retirement as an anachronistic and obdurate Major General. The film is structured in three acts set in the aftermath of the Boer War, the first world war and the present (at the time of making the film) the height of the 2nd World War. But it is not just an examination of these conflicts. Its real power lies in Candy's pursuit of his ideal woman throughout each of these stages. All three women are played beautifully by Deborah Kerr who never surpassed the power of her performance in this film. The other constant in the film is Anton Wallbrooks character of the sympathetic German with whom Candy builds a lifelong friendship and ultimately is probably Candy's only ever really satisfying relationship throughout his life. For me the film operates on many complex levels. The romantic element is as affecting as anything you are likely to witness in the cinema. It achieves everything in the unrequited love department a la "the remains of the day" in a fraction of the time and as only part of the overall plot. It deals with the moral complexities of war in a way that will have you debating the issues in your mind long after you have seen the film. This particular theme reaches its climax towards the end of the film when Candy is "retired" by the war ministry probably as a result of his outdated approach to strategy for the 2nd World War. Anton Wallbrook then delivers a setpiece speech which starkly outlines the evils of Nazism and the necessity to use any means to defeat it for the sake of freedom and humanity for coming generations. Colonel Blimp with its pristine performances, absorbing plot, dazzling colour photography and economic flawless script easily gives Citizen Kane a good run for its money as the best film of all time.

• Tim S

  
  Great movie! You really have to respect the craftmanship that goes into this film. Every shot is gorgeous and you can see where directors like Martin Scorcese were influenced. I didn't expect the happy tone of the film and was a little surprised at how it affected me. At certain… More
  Great movie! You really have to respect the craftmanship that goes into this film. Every shot is gorgeous and you can see where directors like Martin Scorcese were influenced. I didn't expect the happy tone of the film and was a little surprised at how it affected me. At certain points, the film is flat out funny and Albert Lieven is fucking fantastic. I figure since I won't get cable in the swamp for another week, I'll probably burn through these Janus films with the quickness.

• Lanning :

  
  I'm still churning the title of this film in my head, wondering what exactly it has to do with the story. Colonel? Blimp? Whatever. Still, a great movie about war. I don't want to say it's anti-war; there is a definite militaristic patriotism running through this.… More
  I'm still churning the title of this film in my head, wondering what exactly it has to do with the story. Colonel? Blimp? Whatever. Still, a great movie about war. I don't want to say it's anti-war; there is a definite militaristic patriotism running through this. I think the term "jingoistic" applies, and I don't mean that as a negative criticism. I've read at least one comment that this is "an anti-war saga." I have to disagree. The British are upheld repeatedly, as a point of pride, for fighting "fairly," and this is why they have been so successful in, say, World War I. It is true, however, that the consequences of war are also weighed, and they tip the scales heavily. <p> Excellent performances by an amazingly aged Roger Livesay and a young and radiant Deborah Kerr playing three roles. Above all, Anton Walbrook, as Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff, is a superb scene stealer.

• Stella D

  
  war starts at midnight! a wonderful epic adventure of a british soldier's life. highly recommended to those who enjoy such stuff as much as i do. actually filmed during the london blitz! churchill was not amused.

• xGary X

  
  An acknowledged classic of british cinema, this journey through the life of a career military man is as modestly noble as the man it portrays. It has a light and comic tone punctuated by moving moments of extreme profundity, and tackles the subject of war and the fighting man without… More
  An acknowledged classic of british cinema, this journey through the life of a career military man is as modestly noble as the man it portrays. It has a light and comic tone punctuated by moving moments of extreme profundity, and tackles the subject of war and the fighting man without resorting to propaganda or manipulation. The three leads are all excellent, Deborah Kerr oddly playing three different parts, but it works. Roger Livesey in the role of the archetypal englishman (or at least the ideal of one) is immensely likeable and believable as history and politics shifts around him. Elegant, charming and intelligent.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]"The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" flashes back to 1902 when Major Clive Candy(Roger Livesey) has returned to London from the Boer War with a Victoria Cross pinned to his chest. He is dismayed to learn one of his old adversaries has been spreading… More
  [font=Century Gothic]"The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" flashes back to 1902 when Major Clive Candy(Roger Livesey) has returned to London from the Boer War with a Victoria Cross pinned to his chest. He is dismayed to learn one of his old adversaries has been spreading propaganda in Berlin about false English atrocities. The foreign office tries to dissuade him from going there to confront him, but to no avail. While in Berlin, Candy strikes up an acquaintance with Edith Hunter(Deborah Kerr), a young English governess, who informed him of the rumors in the first place. Later at a beer hall, Candy does confront his enemy but not only manages to insult him but also the entire German army. A duel is therefore scheduled to settle matters...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" is an entertaining and engaging epic, filmed in gorgeously rendered technicolor. It is about the career of a military officer who lives in the past, even as radical changes are happening in the world. Candy talks about war being honorable but since when has that ever been true? Only an exalted member of the officer class could be so naive. And he is shown as a dinosaur because he is reluctant to give into the thought of total war but does that mean the filmmakers were arguing for the bombing of German civilians? [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font]

• MJS M

  
  The filmmaking team of Powell and Pressburger has a reputation of great importance, and this is the first of their movies I?ve seen. Clearly I?ve been missing out because this is a great movie. The film tells the epic story of a friendship between an English Officer and a German… More
  The filmmaking team of Powell and Pressburger has a reputation of great importance, and this is the first of their movies I?ve seen. Clearly I?ve been missing out because this is a great movie. The film tells the epic story of a friendship between an English Officer and a German Officer over the course of forty years and two world wars. It?s a great character study filmed in glorious Technicolor. The film was disliked in its home country for not being jingoistic enough, but it has stood the test of time well and is filled with visual creativity. The strangest thing about this movie is its title; the main character is not named Blimp, and he?s a General not a Colonel, and at no point does this depict his death.

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