A CANTERBURY TALE
UK, 1944, 124 minutes, Black and white.
Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, John Sweet, Dennis Price, Esmond Knight, Charles Hawtrey, Hay Petrie, George Merritt, Edward Rigby.
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
A Canterbury Tale is an odd film from The Archers, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. During the war years they had made such films as The 49th Parallel and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. They were to make other successful English films including The Red Shoes.
The film begins with the echoes of Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales and the pilgrims going down to Canterbury. It then moves into the 1940s and Britain's experience of the war, soldiers, American soldiers, the Home Guard, etc. It collects a small group of people who act as the equivalent of the pilgrims. However, the plot also focuses on an eccentric magistrate who throws glue into women's hair - as a protest against the Americans and their going out with British girls. Perhaps this seemed rather quaint in its time; it seems even quainter later on.
Eric Portman has dignity and some severity as the magistrate, Sheila Sim as the young girl and Dennis Price the English soldier. There is a supporting cast of British character actors and actresses. An American soldier, John Sweet, plays the visitor.
1.England of the '40s? The work of The Archers? The war, morale?
2.The black and white photography, Sussex and Kent? The echoes of the 14th century and Canterbury Tales? The 20th century? The city and cathedral of Canterbury? Musical score?
3.The title, the reference to Chaucer, the initial quotation, the pilgrims on their way, the passing of the years, the parallels?
4.World War Two, Great Britain's involvement, the American allies? Work in Britain, the wardens, the bombings? Morale?
5.The three arriving, the introduction to each, their stories, the focus on them, the town, the darkness, the glue man, going into the shelter, the introduction to Culpepper?
6.The portrait of Bob: the American soldier, his accent and style, presuppositions, looking at Britain with American eyes? His loneliness, his girl not writing? The difficulties, going to the shelter? The plan to meet his buddy at Canterbury? Friendship with Alison and Peter? Meeting Culpepper? The hotel room? The hospitality of the town? The glue incident, his being a detective, deciding to stay? Working out the lights in Culpepper's presence? Going to his lecture? The search? The boys and their collecting the scraps? Reading the ledgers? The talk with Peter on the hill? Going to Canterbury, meeting his buddy, getting the letters from his girlfriend?
7.Alison and her work, arrival the glue experience, washing her hair, seeking her caravan, the ancient coins, her fiance and his absence, seeing the women who experienced the glue man, Culpepper, the lecture, going onto the hill and overhearing the two men talk? The truth? Her going to Canterbury, the good news about her fiance?
8.Peter, going to Canterbury, the investigation, the calendar and working out the dates of the attacks, Culpepper's calendar? Visiting him in his house? The lecture, the talk with Bob on the hill? His background in organ playing, training, the theatre, Canterbury, the opportunity to play for the ceremony?
9.Culpepper, the magistrate, his home, love of the country, his lectures, the experience of the war, resentment of the army, people ignoring his lectures on the countryside, the lectures to the army, his role as a magistrate, his throwing the glue, his motivations? The investigation, travelling to Canterbury in the train, the truth? His motives?
10.The sketch of the people in the town, the various incidents, the boys and their investigation, Culpepper's home, the women who experienced the glue?
11.Canterbury, a place for pilgrims, a place for morale? The ceremony to bless those going to war?
