Editing Black Narcissus (section)

==Release==
===Box office===
''Black Narcissus'' had its world premiere at the [[Odeon Leicester Square]] in London on 24 April 1947 attended by [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]], before opening to the public there the following day and being shown in 20 key cities in the UK within 10 days.<ref name=24april/><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Evening Standard]]|page=10|title=Picture Theatres (West End)|date=25 April 1947}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|page=4|title=Cinemas|date=24 April 1947}}</ref> According to trade papers, the film was a "notable box office attraction" at British cinemas in 1947.{{sfn|Murphy|2003|p=209}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Screen_Volume_32_Issue_3/page/n17 |magazine=[[Screen (journal)|Screen]] |page=258 |volume=32 |issue=3 |title=The popular cash and culture in the postwar British cinema industry |first=Janet |last=Thumim}}</ref> It premiered in the United States on 13 August 1947 in New York City at the [[Fulton Theatre]].{{sfn|Slide|1998|p=38}}

In France, where it was released in 1949, the film sold 1,388,416 tickets. In Japan, it was the fifth top-grossing film of 1950, earning {{JPY|60 million|link=yes}} in [[theatrical rental]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Japan 1950 |url=http://www.boxofficestory.com/japon-1950-s-c29019210 |website=Box Office Story |language=fr |access-date=30 June 2020}}</ref>

===Legion of Decency condemnation===
In the United States, the Catholic [[National Legion of Decency]] condemned the film as "an affront to religion and religious life" for characterising it as "an escape for the abnormal, the neurotic and the frustrated".<ref>{{cite news| newspaper=[[The Tablet (Brooklyn)|The Tablet]]| location=Brooklyn, New York| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38848844/the_tablet/| title=Legion Condemns British Film| page=1| via=Newspapers.com| date=16 August 1947}}</ref> The version of the film originally shown in the United States had scenes depicting flashbacks of Sister Clodagh's life before becoming a sister edited out at the behest of the Legion of Decency.<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/work/black-narcissus-5906/review |website=[[AllMovie]] |first=Bruce |last=Eder |access-date=11 November 2019 |title=Black Narcissus: Review}}</ref> The 10 cuts to the film, of about 900 feet of film, were supervised by Pressburger, who commented that the cuts were "reasonable, fair and just", and that he made them to further the film's distribution, as the only bookings it had while on the "condemned" list were in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. After the cuts were made, the Legion of Decency removed the film from the list, and further bookings were possible.<ref>Staff (March 21, 1948) [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1948/03/21/96588779.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 "Background on Black Narcissus"], ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref>

===Critical response===
<!-- Newspaper title correct for 1947 -->''[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]]'' described the film as possessing "good acting and skilfully built-up atmosphere" and praised the cinematography.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38853792/the_guardian/ |date=6 May 1947 |page=6 |author=C. T. |via=Newspapers.com |title=Odeon– "Black Narcissus"}}</ref> Philip Scheuer of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' gave the film high praise, deeming it an "exquisite cinematic jewel", continuing: "I can't say how authentic ''Black Narcissus'' is, but the lotus land to which it carries us is uniquely unforgettable."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38852409/the_los_angeles_times/| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| last=Scheuer| first=Philip K.| date=19 September 1947| via=Newspapers.com| page=10| title='Black Narcissus' Exquisite Production}}</ref> Jane Corby of the ''[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'' described the film as a "peculiar recital of religious life" and praised the cinematography, but felt that the "mixed atmosphere of religious seclusion and romantic vagaries is very confusing".<ref>{{cite news| newspaper=Brooklyn Daily Eagle| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38853500/the_brooklyn_daily_eagle/| last=Corby| first=Jane| page=11| date=14 August 1947| via=Newspapers.com| title='Black Narcissus' at the Fulton}}</ref>

Thomas M. Pryor of ''[[The New York Times]]'' lauded the creative collaboration of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the writer-director duo, for their notable artistic achievement in ''Black Narcissus''. Pryor particularly highlighted the groundbreaking use of Technicolor in the movie, noting its exceptional realism and its ability to create a riveting dramatic impact. He further commended the film's adept employment of miniature sets and process shots to authentically evoke the ambience of the Himalayan setting. Pryor found the presentation of the film's dramatic elements to be exceptionally well-executed and praised the overall performance of the cast as commendable. Nevertheless, Pryor observed a subtle undercurrent of detachment and cynicism in the portrayal of the nuns within the narrative, acknowledging that this aspect might prove disconcerting to certain viewers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pryor |first=Thomas M. |date=1947-08-17 |title=TRIO FROM BRITAIN; Some Reflections on 'Green for Danger,' 'Black Narcissus' and 'Frieda' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/08/17/archives/trio-from-britain-some-reflections-on-green-for-danger-black.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |volume=96 |issue=32712 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pryor |first=Thomas M. |date=1947-08-14 |title=The Screen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/08/14/archives/black-narcissus-british-study-of-missionary-nuns-starring-deborah.html |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |volume=96 |issue=32709 |issn=0362-4331}} Republished in {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/newyorktimesfilm0003unse/page/2197 |title=The New York times film reviews |date=1968 |publisher=Arno Press |volume=3 |location=New York |page=2197 |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

Writing in ''[[The Nation (magazine)| The Nation]]'' in 1947, critic [[James Agee]] stated, "It is all intended to be very "psychological," "atmospheric," "rueful," and "worldly wise." {{nbsp}}... Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were badly mistaken in trying to make a movie at all. There is some unusually good color photography, and as movie-making some of it is intelligent and powerful. But the pervasive attitude in and toward the picture makes it as a whole tedious and vulgar."<ref>Agee, James - ''Agee on Film Vol.1'' © 1958 by The James Agee Trust.</ref>

On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of [[List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes|100%]] based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10.<ref>{{cite web|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/black_narcissus |access-date=11 June 2024 |title=Black Narcissus (1947)}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 86 based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web|website=[[Metacritic]] |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/black-narcissus |access-date=1 June 2023 |title= Black Narcissus}}</ref> Reviewing the film in 2005, [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' gave it five out of five stars, praising its direction, performances, and production design, and calling it "an all-time top 10 favourite of mine".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2005/aug/05/3|title=Black Narcissus review|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Bradshaw|date=4 August 2005|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=11 June 2024}}</ref> In another retrospective review, Tim Dirks of [[Filmsite]] called the film "provocative, dazzling and rich-colored".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmsite.org/blacknarcissus.html|title=Black Narcissus (1947)|last=Dirks|first=Tim|website=[[Filmsite]]|access-date=11 June 2024}}</ref>

====Awards and honours====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:55%;"
|-
! style="width:23%;"| Institution
! style="width:20%;"| Category
! style="width:20%;"| Recipient
! style="width:12%;"| Result
! style="width:1%;" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| [[Academy Awards]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Color Cinematography]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Jack Cardiff]]
| {{won}}
| rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| <ref name=awards>{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/5906/Black-Narcissus/awards |title=Black Narcissus&nbsp;– Awards |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022232036/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/5906/Black-Narcissus/awards|department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 22, 2012 |archive-date=22 October 2012}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|  [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Color Art Direction]]
| style="text-align:center;"|  [[Alfred Junge]]
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | [[Golden Globe Award]]s
| style="text-align:center;"| Best Cinematography
| style="text-align:center;"| Jack Cardiff
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| [[New York Film Critics Circle]]
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Deborah Kerr]]
| {{won}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Kathleen Byron]]
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38852053/daily_news/| newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]| date=30 December 1947| page=28| last=Cameron| first=Kate| title=N.Y. Critics Pick Best Pix of '47| via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
|-
|}

===Home media===
[[The Criterion Collection]], an American home media distribution company, released ''Black Narcissus'' on [[laserdisc]] in the early 1990s, and issued it on [[DVD]] in 2002.<ref name=murray>{{cite web| url=https://www.avclub.com/black-narcissus-dvd-1798197271| website=[[The A.V. Club]]| title=Black Narcissus (DVD)| last=Murray| first=Noel| date=19 April 2002| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105024553/https://film.avclub.com/black-narcissus-dvd-1798197271| archive-date=5 November 2019}}</ref> Noel Murray, writing for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', deemed the 2002 DVD as a "crackerjack release", noting it was a direct copy of the old laserdisc.<ref name=murray/>

In 2008, [[ITV Studios|ITV]], the corporate heir to [[the Rank Organisation]]'s General Film Distributors, released a restored version of the film on [[Blu-ray]] in the United Kingdom. The Criterion Collection subsequently issued the restored version on DVD and Blu-ray on 20 July 2010.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/43353/black-narcissus/| website=[[DVD Talk]]| title=Black Narcissus (Blu-ray review)| date=12 July 2010| last=Tyner| first=Adam| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818022943/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/43353/black-narcissus/| archive-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> Network Distributing, under licence from ITV, released another Blu-ray edition in the United Kingdom in 2014.<ref>{{cite web| website=Cineoutsider| title=Black Narcissus Blu-ray review| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322033910/http://www.cineoutsider.com/reviews/bluray/b/black_narcissus_br.html| url=http://www.cineoutsider.com/reviews/bluray/b/black_narcissus_br.html| archive-date=22 March 2019}}</ref>