'Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger' Review: Martin Scorsese Lovingly Praises The Archers

The Big Picture

• Martin Scorsese passionately praises British filmmakers Powell and Pressburger for their influence on his career.


• David Hinton's documentary explores the varied and unique filmography of The Archers, showcasing their innovative work.


• Scorsese shares insights on the importance of film history and the influence of Powell & Pressburger on his own films.

Martin Scorsese is one of our best-living directors and one of the most important filmmakers ever. But despite making classics in every decade of his career and showing no signs of slowing down in his 80s, Scorsese’s greatest contributions to film history might just be his love for the medium. Through The World Cinema Project, Scorsese has helped restore unsung films from around the world, giving them a new life and a new appreciation. And for a film lover, there are few greater things than hearing Scorsese passionately go on about the films that have meant the most to him in his life. But listen to any of these conversations and you’re sure to hear two names over and over again: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, known collectively as The Archers.

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger

Features rare archival material from the personal collections of Powell, Pressburger and Scorsese.

The way Scorsese talks about these filmmakers makes it clear that without these two British men, Scorsese wouldn’t be the director he is today. Whether it’s through being awed by Powell’s The Thief of Bagdad as a kid, or praising The Red Shoes as one of his all-time favorite films, Powell and Pressburger had an immense impact on Scorsese that can still be felt in his films today. With Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, director David Hinton gives Scorsese the space to talk about the greatness of these two filmmakers, their long-underappreciated work, the significance they’ve had on his own work, and in doing so, showing the importance of film history and appreciation for the classics. The result is an absolutely delightful documentary that allows Scorsese to do what he does best: praise The Archers and all their accomplishments.

'Made in England' Is a Deep Appreciation for Powell & Pressburger

Image via Cohen Media Group / Turner Classic Movies

Hinton’s documentary is a mostly chronological look at the films of The Archers, allowing Scorsese to do a deep dive into all their major works. Hinton shows just how varied and unique their filmography was, constantly bouncing from genre to genre, and taking huge chances with each subsequent film. For example, the pair followed their biggest success, The Red Shoes, a vibrant tale mixing ballet and fairy tale-esque storytelling, with The Small Back Room, a restrained black-and-white war drama. The brilliance of The Archers was their inability to get put in the box, yet always thrive and innovate in whatever genre they attempted.

But what makes this more than just a standard documentary about an important filmmaking duo’s career is the involvement of Scorsese. First and foremost, Scorsese comes to the work of Powell & Pressburger as a fan. Scorsese shows us just how much these men have meant to him for all of his life, from those early days watching The Thief of Bagdad on black-and-white television, to striking up a friendship with Powell decades later. As a young film student, Scorsese talks about the importance of The Archers' work on himself, as well as directors like Brian de Palma and Francis Ford Coppola, even though The Archers rarely received the attention and recognition they deserved. Scorsese first witnessed the films of The Archers as a wide-eyed child, amazed by what he’s seen, and all these years later, hearing him talk about these great films, it’s clear that he still becomes that amazed kid when watching these films.

'Made in England' Shows How Important Film History Is

Image via Cohen Media Group / Turner Classic Movies

Yet by seeing Scorsese’s insights into these films, we also see the importance of film history and knowing what came before the films we love. Scorsese makes sure the focus is always on Powell & Pressburger, but he shares the elements from their films that led to choices he would go on to take later in his own films. This leads to some of the most captivating scenes of the film, such as when he discusses how a joust in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp led to how Scorsese filmed the Jake LaMotta boxing sequences in Raging Bull. Scorsese does this sparingly, but it’s always a joy, especially when he compares Powell & Pressburger’s love for complicated characters with his use of antiheroes in his own work.

As the name implies, Made in England prioritizes the work of these two filmmakers over who they were, yet Hinton’s film also makes you wish it would explore the history of these men even further. From what we see, Powell had a fascinating life, one which dovetails into Scorsese’s in truly beautiful ways, especially in his later years. But as a filmmaker who was rarely appreciated in his time, we’re only shown glimpses of Powell’s life after his filmmaking career, and it seems like an essential period to not explore in trying to learn who this man was. Similarly, Pressburger doesn’t get nearly as much time as Powell, likely because he doesn’t seem to have had the same depth of a relationship with Scorsese that Powell had. But again, Hinton’s film will make you wish you could learn even more about these two, and especially their period where they worked separately from each other.

With Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, Hinton shows the legacy that films can have and how time can benefit films that don’t receive the recognition they deserve. Scorsese talks about how these films grow richer over time, yet it’s not because the film is changing, but rather, the viewer is changing and evolving and appreciating these films more throughout their lives. It’s also a beautiful example of how film is always advancing, and how some brave choice in one film can lead to another masterpiece decision in a different film from a different filmmaker nearly half a century later. But in a larger sense, Made in England is about the journey of life and how we can never know where this will take us. As a kid, Scorsese certainly never thought he’d meet one of the directors behind The Thief of Bagdad, and years later, he’d become one of his closest confidants as a filmmaker. Time can shift The Archers films from underrated gems into well-established masterpieces, and who knows where time—and the movies—can take each one of us.

REVIEW

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger is a loving tribute by David Hinton and Martin Scorsese to the remarkable filmmaking duo known as The Archers.

Pros

• Scorsese is the perfect person to narrate this story of Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger.
• Hinton's film shows the importance of film history in general and for the individual.
• Made in England will absolutely make you want to watch more films from Powell & Pressburger.

Cons

• Made in England could've used a bit more history of Powell & Pressburger outside of their films.

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger is now playing in theaters in the U.S. Click below for showtimes near you.

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