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A Canterbury Tale (1944)

A Canterbury Tale (1944)
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Set not in the 14th century milieu of Geoffrey Chaucer but in wartime Britain, A Canterbury Tale begins with rural justice of the peace Eric Portman adopting a "lock up your daughters" policy when the American soldiers are stationed nearby. To escape the arbitrary edicts of Portman, British tank sergeant Dennis Price, American GI John Sweet and shopkeeper Sheila Sim head down the road to Canterbury. Each of the principals finds their lives changed by the journey. In particular, Sweet (a real-life American sergeant, rather than the usual stereotyped "yank" common to British war films) encounters genuine romance. A product of the always adventuresome "Archers" (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger), A Canterbury Tale contains some extremely creative cinematic moments, though it is the quieter scenes which work best. Esmond Knight narrates the film and shows up in a couple of amusing cameos. A ubiquitous presence on American TV, Canterbury Tale is available in two versions; the American release version, cut from 124 to 95 minutes and including several arbitrary scenes with Kim Hunter, is the lesser of the two. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, (more)
Director(s):
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, (more)
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of A Canterbury Tale

Set not in the 14th century milieu of Geoffrey Chaucer but in wartime Britain, A Canterbury Tale begins with rural justice of the peace Eric Portman adopting a "lock up your daughters" policy when the American soldiers are stationed nearby. To escape the arbitrary edicts of Portman, British tank sergeant Dennis Price, American GI John Sweet and shopkeeper Sheila Sim head down the road to Canterbury. Each of the principals finds their lives changed by the journey. In particular, Sweet (a real-life American sergeant, rather than the usual stereotyped "yank" common to British war films) encounters genuine romance. A product of the always adventuresome "Archers" (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger), A Canterbury Tale contains some extremely creative cinematic moments, though it is the quieter scenes which work best. Esmond Knight narrates the film and shows up in a couple of amusing cameos. A ubiquitous presence on American TV, Canterbury Tale is available in two versions; the American release version, cut from 124 to 95 minutes and including several arbitrary scenes with Kim Hunter, is the lesser of the two. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
124 mins

Complete Cast of A Canterbury Tale


Director(s):
Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
Writer(s):
Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
Producer(s):
Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
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    James V.

    Here's another rich & wonderful piece of moviemaking from the Powell/Pressburger team--as well as a lovely little time capsule of WWII Britain: the land girls, small town England, and what REAL love of country is all about. Made in 1944, while WWII still raged, A CANTERBURY TALE is as good as anything I've seen from these amazing filmmakers. Beginning with a lovely link to Chaucer's tales, then using a quick cut that ought to remind you of something Stanley Kubrick is now heralded for doing (nearly a quarter-century later!), it moves ahead to tell the story of four people whose paths cross to a purpose. Full of quiet surprise and a lead character (Colpeper) who is enormously problematic, the film makes you look, listen, think and feel intently (about as much as movies can offer, right?). As the story seems to meander along, it is actually picking up an enormous head of steam which will--at the end--let loose a blast of patriotism, pride, beauty, sound, architecture and spirituality.

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    Donald D.

    Very professionally done period piece about WWII England. Excellent character development, engaging devices to pull you into the plot, and important live footage of the destruction in WWII England from the bombing. Eric Portman delivers a magnificent performance that will leave you pondering his character. The movie fleshes out the passion the English have for the country. The scenes in Canterbury Cathedral alone make the movie worth watching. If you are interested in WWII, England, or ancient cathedrals this movie is not just interesting, but important. I gave it four stars because I thought the acting was just a tad stiff, and the main plot device was a bit silly, but otherwise, a very good movie.

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    Bruce B.

    Well-crafted WW2 film, somewhat slow to get going, well-acted elicits understanding of English patriotism not so much from war battles but from the common folk living through the war. Great cathedral scenes.

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