--- title: "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp" critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943): what the critics said Critics' score 86 from 11 reviews: 11 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus is firmly positive, with praise centred on the film’s compassion for Clive Candy as his ideas of honour become harder to reconcile with modern war. Critics repeatedly value the friendship between Clive and Theo, and the way Powell and Pressburger give a potentially pompous caricature dignity without overlooking his failings. The performances draw strong approval, particularly Roger Livesey’s balance of absurdity and decency, while the Technicolor images, editing and transitions also attract praise. The differences concern the degree of enthusiasm rather than any outright rejection: all eleven reviews are positive. The two reviews from 1945 are more measured than the later assessments. The New York Times finds the entertainment impressive but sometimes inconsistent; The New Yorker stresses the touching contradictions of a soldier who is absurd, brave and honest. Elsewhere, the reviews largely treat the tension between affection and criticism as a strength. ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 5/5. 10 September 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp-1) ## Empire — Alan Morrison Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/life-death-colonel-blimp-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2002. 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. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp-1943) ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2011. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/may/17/life-death-colonel-blimp-review) ## The Telegraph — Marc Lee Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/3645753/The-Life-and-Death-of-Colonel-Blimp-1943.html) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 8.0/10. 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. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-p5g4no/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 November 2002. 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. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp-1798198078) ## The New Yorker — Wolcott Gibbs Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 1945. 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. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1945/04/07/1945-04-07-065-tny-cards-000019720) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 1945. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1945/03/30/archives/the-screen-in-review-corn-is-green-starring-bette-davis-in-role.html) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating A. 19 March 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-films-of-powell-pressburger-a-retrospective-20130319/3/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp.md