A Canterbury Tale

Another Powell and Pressburger charmer, A Canterbury Tale (1944) is their follow-up to The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. This ode to England lacks the sharp edge of Blimp and 49th Parallel and stylization of other Archers efforts, but it's still a pleasant journey with an immensely likeable cast of characters.

In war-time England, four very different people find themselves in a small town. Alison (Sheila Sim) is a "land girl" looking for work on a farm; Sergeant Gibbs (Dennis Price) is an organist-turned-soldier on leave; Sergeant Bob Johnson (John Sweet) is a friendly American soldier who got off at the wrong train stop; Thomas Colpepper (Eric Portman) is a stuffy magistrate and amateur historian. They're thrown together when Alison is attacked by the "Glue Man," a local mischief-maker harrassing local girls. They team up to track down the identity of the Glue Man, becoming enraptured by the idyllic countryside and making their way to the ancient Cathedral at Canterbury in the process.

The Archers were usually weak on narrative and A Canterbury Tale is no exception. The daft plot with the "glue man" is pretty thin stuff to hang a two-hour film on; it's to Powell and Pressburger's credit that they wring so much out of it. The real pleasure is spending time with a lovely group of people: the four protagonists are an interesting group of people thrown together by war, each with different motives but finding a great deal in common. The pilgrimage to Canterbury fulfills something for all of them: Colpepper, creating an appreciation for England's greatness, Gibbs's dream to be a church organist, Alison discovering the truth about her boyfriend, Johnson finding his unit (and the truth about his girlfriend). Even when the story flags, these likeable characters keep things afloat, and it's wonderful to see everything come together.

The film espouses a kinder, gentler model of patriotism than the oft-bellicose Hollywood variety. The plot is loosely based on Chaucer but strikes a chord by tying the modern-day protagonists to ancient England: little has changed but the people (and, we might add, technology). As in Blimp, the war is unseen but ever-present, effecting all of the protagonists, who have lost husbands, fiancees, jobs and businesses to it. And yet the Englishmen and women we encounter are steadfast, friendly and determined, united in a common sacrifice and effort. The naive but charming American Bob fits in like a glove; he's a fish out of water who's eager to make friends and explore England. Surely this film's England is no more realistic than a Frank Capra/John Ford take on America, but that makes it no less appealing.

The movie lacks the stylistic flare of P&P's later works, with fairly sparse direction that is nonetheless beautiful. The countryside of Kent is wonderfully captured, and the awe-inspiring Canterbury Cathedral provides a fitting locale for the finale. The biggest technical moment is a "match cut" from medieval falcon to Spitfire, presaging a famous moment in Kubrick's 2001.

Eric Portman (49th Parallel) is fine though his character is arguably the weakest of the leads. Dennis Price (Kind Hearts and Coronets) is solid, and Sheila Sim is endearingly sweet. John Sweet, a real-life GI, is effortlessly charming and likeable; he's not a great actor but doesn't try to be.

A Canterbury Tale is a nice, endearing film that's just pleasant to watch. It's not the Archers' finest hour, but a middling Powell and Pressburger effort is better than most other films.