A Canterbury Tale

A Canterbury Tale (1944) is a British film by the film-making team of Powell & Pressburger. The film takes its title from the Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer, and uses the theme of medieval pilgrimage to highlight the wartime experiences of the citizens of Kent. Made in black and white, it was the first of two collaborations between Powell & Pressburger and cinematographer Erwin Hillier. The film is a mixture of British realism and Hillier's German Expressionist style, and is notable for its depiction of the English landscape.

Story

The story concerns three young people: a British soldier (Dennis Price), an American soldier (played by real-life G.I. John Sweet), and a 'Land Girl' (Sheila Sim). As the group arrive in a small Kent town, the girl is attacked by a mysterious assailant who has been putting glue into the hair of local girls. The three investigate the attack, and identify the culprit as a local magistrate (Eric Portman), a pillar of the community who gives history lectures to soldiers stationed in the district. They confront him, and discover that his motive is to prevent the soldiers from being distracted by female company. Meanwhile, their own attitudes to their surroundings are changing, and they decide not to reveal his guilt. On arriving in the city of Canterbury, devastated by wartime bombing, all three young people witness "miracles" of their own.

Production

Notable for its many exterior shots showing the Kent countryside as well as Canterbury itself. Many local people, including a lot of young boys, were recruited as extras. They weren't able to get permission to film inside the Cathedral itself - so they rebuilt large portions of the Cathedral in the studio.

External links

Canterbury Tale, A Canterbury Tale, A Canterbury Tale, A

 

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