Genre: Drama / Romance / War Director(s): Michael Powell Release Date: 10 June 1943 Movie rating: 8.2

P“The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp” is a British romantic drama released in 1943. Starring Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook, it tells the tale of Clive Wynne-Candy, following him from being a lowly lieutenant in the Boer War, and seeing him climbing through the ranks of the British Army and becoming a Major-General. On the leave from the Boer War, Candy receives a letter from Edith, his acquaintance in Berlin, who informs him about a German spreading anti-British propaganda. Going against the orders of his superiors, Candy decides to act on it, which puts him in the path of a German officer named Theo. After they both get wounded in a duel, they become friends while recuperating from the wounds in the same nursing home. They both share affection for Edith, but they don’t allow it to affect their friendship. We then follow the relationship of the two men over the course of two World Wars, and both of their romantic ups and downs. After the rise of the Nazi regime to power in Germany, disillusioned Theo moves to England, with Candy vouching for him. The story is incredibly nuanced for its time, especially considering that it was released in the midst of World War II. It has suffered because of what some viewed as a sympathetic depiction of a German officer. Nowadays it is viewed as one of the masterpieces of British cinematography, noted for its sparkling Technicolor cinematography and the performances of the two male leads.

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