Courtesy of Cohen Media Group
What many do not know about acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese, one of the rare genre pioneers whose career’s final stretch we are witnessing in real-time, is that he has contributed just as much to the medium’s preservation as he has to its advancement. Through his work with The Film Foundation and The World Cinema Project, the director has helped restore and revitalize the work of filmmakers from across global history, however much of this happens behind closed doors and, thus, receives less recognition than his own films. Modern cinephiles are eager to assess Scorsese’s career through his recent works, such as The Irishman or Killers of the Flower Moon, when there’s more to uncover in the works he chooses to restore, including essential global cinema such as Black Girl, The Color of Pomegranates, and, perhaps most notably, The Red Shoes.
Cited as one of his all-time favorite films since childhood, Scorsese’s efforts to restore Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s seminal dance drama were borne from a long-held passion for the duo’s filmography, one of the most revered in all of British and world cinema. It surely was also colored by Scorsese’s years-long friendship with Powell himself, who would become a mentor to the filmmaker as he found a resurgence in his career following Raging Bull. Since then, Scorsese has become a leading voice in the reevaluation and ongoing revitalization of Powell and Pressburger, however, his latest project may have solidified him as the leading voice: Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger, an essay documentary in which Scorsese waxes poetic on the history and filmography behind two of his all-time favorite filmmakers.

The film begins with a dash of Scorsese’s own history, recounting his discovery of Powell and Pressburger films on television during his childhood in 1940s New York City. The filmmaker immediately speaks of the films with an elegant, sentimental quality that evokes the cinephile’s equivalent of stories around the campfire. To him, the films felt larger than life. They were his introduction to the grandeur of cinema, the same magic that keeps each of us coming back to the movies. It’s a perfect gateway into what eventually unfurls into a broader history lesson: how Powell and Pressburger met, what was behind their successful collaboration, and how it came falling apart. Scorsese dives into almost every major film in the duo’s filmography, from 49th Parallel and Black Narcissus to even Powell’s solo outing Peeping Tom, going so far as to pick apart shot selection and dialogue of individual scenes to ascertain the deeper meanings and modern resonance. He even draws direct comparisons between their films and his own work, adding even greater value to the film’s gorgeous, contemplative insights.
Whatever doubt one may have over Scorsese’s ability to pose his own impassioned lecture as a feature documentary is quickly assuaged as soon as he begins talking. Scorsese accomplishes a rare feat in that he spoils just about every Powell and Pressburger film for those who have not seen them, yet his effortless analysis will only make that same audience clamor to see the films more. His infectious, undeniable love of cinema shines through in every moment. We do, of course, have the original filmmakers to thank as well; Powell and Pressburger were ingenious storytellers working far ahead of their time. However, Scorsese’s insights secure the works as timeless. The thoughtfulness he brings to the films, including sobering moments in which the filmmaker reckons with his own career twilight, makes this a must-see work for multiple audiences: fans of Scorsese, fans of Powell and Pressburger, aspiring filmmakers, and young but ardent cinephiles whose diet of criticism is as partial to Richard Brody as it is to content creators like Tony Zhou and Lindsay Ellis.

It is notable that the film, despite starring Scorsese, is directed by David Hinton. The British producer does perfectly well with the minimal job required, however, the film’s bare-bones visual identity is its one detriment. This is a glorified episode of Turner Classic Movies in substance but not in style; don’t be expecting anything formally daring or nuanced. The majority of the film is archival footage of Powell and Pressburger’s films cut between Scorsese addressing the audience. The film also features fascinating, assumedly unseen verite of Powell’s later life (he would marry Scorsese’s longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, an EP on this doc) as well as candid interviews with the duo together that make for a few good laughs. However, that’s all you’re going to get, and that’s how it should be. This is ultimately a film for cinephiles, who will be more than taken with the work of the films themselves to be immersed in whatever the documentary has to say beyond it.
Perhaps the most heart-tugging aspect to Made in England is that, by the end, the film plays most effectively as Scorsese’s own tribute to his beloved mentor and friend. It’s clear Michael Powell altered the filmmaker’s career in a way few people would have recognized prior to this film, allowing it to serve as both a totem to his work – and an effective reclamation of his later career after splitting from Pressburger – and a memory of who he was and what made him a beautiful artist. There’s a temptation to believe that Scorsese should be doing more documentaries like this, that he should, rather than continue to tread water on lengthy epics, simply dedicate his time to imparting his wisdom to the next generation (something he has surely already been doing, but nonetheless). However, as the credits roll, it’s clear that Made in England is a one-of-a-kind passion project, the kind that can’t truly be replicated. Scorsese could surely discuss other filmmakers with the same propensity for knowledge but not with the same level of emotional urgency. With only some odd years left in his lifetime, Scorsese knew he needed to make this film and put his ode to Powell on film, and cinephiles the world over are now more indebted to him than ever before.
Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger is now playing at the Quad Cinema in New York City courtesy of Cohen Media Group. The film will expand to Los Angeles on July 26th with national expansion to follow.

Made in England shines as a testament to Martin Scorsese's deep passion and knowledge of cinema, but also for the magic behind the totality of Powell and Pressburger's filmography.
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GVN Rating 8
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Larry Fried is a filmmaker, writer, and podcaster based in New Jersey. He is the host and creator of the podcast “My Favorite Movie is…,” a podcast dedicated to helping filmmakers make somebody’s next favorite movie. He is also the Visual Content Manager for Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization dedicated to competition and training opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities across the Garden State.