A Canterbury Tale (1944)

Good concept, poorly executed.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I didn't know what to expect from A CANTERBURY TALE. I rather thought (oh oh, I'm starting to talk like a bloke now, I am), I rather thought that it would be more along the lines of one of the boisterous tales, but instead we get the pilgrimage.And a tale that begins as a wild boisterous tale turns into one of the darker tales, but never loses its cheerfulness.It's very difficult to talk about this film without a spoiler. It's a mystery that is not only before its time, but still before its time. Other such mysteries have been done, but none are as far in the future as this one is.But I don't mean to mislead you. It's still set in the late days of World War II, for all intents and purposes on the road to Canterbury. It begins as a whimsical Andy Hardy style mystery, but beneath, we suspect more, then the camaraderie and atmosphere of the folk people disarm us. And later our suspicions are aroused again.Portman, as the benevolent caretaker Culpepper character, plays the opposite character of the evil Nazi he portrayed so well in THE 49TH PARALLEL, and strangely enough, the fields and working people are very similar to the major part of the u boat film, in the Christian commune. Portman had great range as an actor. Here, he is a shepherd character.I would love to say more without spoiling the film, but don't dare. It flows very well, and has a magic quality about it.

Full of character, characters, and superb photography this ranks as one of the Archers best.Made in 1944 A Canterbury Tale is an extraordinary film for wartime. Their triumph is that in1944 they produced a film that is about calm assurance in what was a time of great concern. It is a film that says on the eve of D-Day that life carries on and that decency and good values are the greatest comfort of all. A message worth broadcasting in 1944: the things that make us human (and British) do not change.Not snobbery or class, but rather something almost ethereal, poetic, a beauty in good nature.This is a gentle, even sentimental, film that affects the viewer because it talks of decency and good manners, of simplicity and good nature.Seemingly plot less until the last 15 minutes, excepting the MacGuffin of a man who glues girls' hair, and so inspires the three strangers to investigate, the last 15 minutes tie all the pieces up miraculously.Worth watching as a time capsule - it is hugely evocative.Essential viewing for anyone serious about film - outstanding.

Whichever way you slice it this was a strange movie to make in 1944 and one that Powell and Pressburger chose to make enigmatic aiming it squarely between more like two and twenty than a mere two stools. The title gives the first clue that something more than two hours escapism is on offer and this is immediately followed up when four people en route to Canterbury come together a few miles short and eventually journey there together. There's also some low-key 'hands across the sea' propaganda when the yank from Oregon and the lumber mill workers in Kent discover they do things the same way, woodenly speaking. Some okay performances but ultimately less than meets the eye.

One of the great pleasures of Powell & Pressburger films (and there are many) is that they exist outside of genre categories and constraints. The fun of watching them is that they always trust the audience to find their own way through idiosyncratic material. On top of that you're always observing filmmakers working in a very open, artful idiom. Granted this movie is supremely light stuff, the rough equivalent of a Nancy Drew mystery, but so much of it is charming and the P & P approach is of very high quality.The 'plot' is inexplicably inept. It's about a loose criminal whose method, motive and moniker are beyond bizarre. But everything else more than makes up for it. Freed as it is from genre clichés, there's plenty of room for viewers and their readings; you detect, pursue and ponder what you like, and this movie does its best to stay out of your way. Watching earnest people for any length is pretty trying, but this is so striking it's hard to complain. It's shot so beautifully I'd watch it again just for the compositions. I feel about this movie as many do about Night of the Hunter, a similarly visual but thoroughly mediocre film.The only really bad aspect of the movie is the American GI; an overearnest pinhead, as dense as they come, played by a horrible, off-putting actor whose skills would be inadequate even for community theater. I was aware that this is an "American" as presented to British audiences, and likely about as realistic in intent as British characters in American films. But for god's sake, after 5 minutes with this irritating simpleton I'd be giving his coordinates to the Nazis. I'd cheer to see him strangled.The movie is MUCH too long, and pacing is out the window, but the location photography is stunning and there are a handful of memorable/funny sequences. This movie actually made me wish that Hitchcock had been less contrived and controlled in his presentation of England and Englanders.