The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

The critic hails the restored 1943 epic as glorious and moving, praising its compassionate portrayal of Clive Candy across decades as a masterclass in defying caricature. The restoration highlights striking tableaux and the film's sad yet empathetic view of ageing and loss.

The critic praises the film's broad-canvas storytelling and its study of a man whose notions of honour and chivalry are challenged by modern war. It singles out the warm portrayal of an enduring cross-national friendship and the human spirit for particular acclaim.

Transforms a blustering caricature into one of the most loved movie characters, revealing an idealist and romantic inside. It is a civilized film about war that defends the old against the young and celebrates decency and fair play even in wartime.

The film elevates every jingoistic or period-specific moment to a mythic perspective on Englishness, loyalty, and the passage of time. It singles out the enduring friendship between Clive and Theo, and Deborah Kerr's multiple roles, as the emotional core amid sweeping historical change.

The re-released Powell and Pressburger film is a quietly amazing wartime drama that grows more fascinating and moving with each viewing. It explores how people age and change through the story of a British officer and his German friend, with standout performances and themes of friendship, censorship, and time.

Powell and Pressburger's most ambitious and controversial work spans 40 years of a British soldier's life and friendship with a German officer, featuring great performances and epic storytelling in Technicolor. It remains engrossing despite its length and was ahead of its time in portraying a sympathetic German character during WWII.

The review notes Churchill's attempt to ban the film for its critique of military complacency but praises Roger Livesey's performance for balancing satire with tribute to honour and loyalty. It calls the film one of British cinema's undisputed masterpieces, highlighting strong turns from Walbrook and Kerr.

Powell and Pressburger bring good humor, visual flair, and unflinching insight to tracing one man's life through three wars and changing ideals. The review highlights the film's remarkable success despite its origins and notes Churchill's misguided opposition to its release.

A rather touching and dramatic biography of a professional British soldier serving since the Boer War, who is absurd yet brave and honest, with pathos in recognizing himself as an anachronism. Epitomizes qualities that made the Empire ridiculous, exasperating, and great.

Interred the pompous Blimp caricature with loving care and impudence in a Technicolor epic spanning decades of a British officer's life from Boer War hero to bewildered old warhorse. An impressive if sometimes inconsistent entertainment that is unmistakably British in flavor.

The film succeeds in being both nostalgic for a more gentlemanly era and critical of its outdated philosophy, marking Powell and Pressburger’s first bona-fide classic. The extended flashback structure, editing, and transitional montages are singled out as pure cinema.