| Notes | Criterion Collection DVD edition
Considered by many to be the finest British film ever made, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, is a stirring masterpiece like no other. Roger Livesey dynamically embodies outmoded English militarism as the indelible General Clive Candy, who barely survives four decades of tumultuous British history, 1902 to 1942, only to see the world change irrevocably before his eyes. Anton Walbrook and Deborah Kerr provide unforgettable support, he as a German enemy turned lifelong friend of Candy’s and she as young women of three consecutive generations—a socially committed governess, a sweet-souled war nurse, and a modern-thinking army driver—who inspire him. Colonel Blimp is both moving and slyly satirical, an incomparable film about war, love, aging, and obsolescence, shot in gorgeous Technicolor.
New digital master from the Film Foundation’s 2012 4K restoration
Audio commentary featuring director Michael Powell and filmmaker Martin Scorsese
New video introduction by Scorsese
A Profile of “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp,” a documentary from 2000
Restoration demonstration, hosted by Scorsese
Optimism and Sheer Will, a 2012 interview with editor Thelma Schoonmaker Powell, Michael Powell’s widow
Gallery featuring rare behind-the-scenes production stills
Gallery tracing the history of David Low’s original Colonel Blimp cartoons
PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Molly Haskell
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