What to stream: Set sights on films of Powell and Pressburger

A new documentary, “Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger,” about filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, charts their careers and influence on American cinema, particularly Martin Scorsese, who narrates the film. Directed by David Hinton, “Made in England” is playing in New York and opens in Los Angeles theaters this weekend, coinciding with retrospectives of their work in both cities.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City has been screening “Cinema Unbound,” a comprehensive retrospective of the work of Powell and Pressburger, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. In Los Angeles, the Academy Museum is presenting a series called “Tellers of Tales: The Films of Powell and Pressburger.” Timed to the release of “Made in England” and it’s national rollout in theaters this summer, the retrospectives offer a watch-along opportunity to accompany the documentary, but for cinephiles outside of New York and L.A., this retrospective can also be done on streaming as well.

The film charts Scorsese’s personal journey with the filmmakers, who worked together primarily in the mid-20th century, making 24 films from 1939 to 1972. Known as “The Archers,” their Technicolor wonders are visual feasts, and their films expanded and explored cinematic language and the imagination on screen as we know it. Scorsese became enchanted with their films on television, as did his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker. He later brought Powell to the United States and worked with his Film Foundation to restore their works. Schoonmaker married Powell in the 1980s and remained with him until his death in 1990. She is one of the main stewards of the legacy of their work.

Here’s a guide to streaming some of the best Powell and Pressburger films to accompany “Made in England.”

One of Powell and Pressburger’s most famous films is the psychedelic dream ballet “The Red Shoes” (1948) starring ballerina Moira Shearer, in her film debut, as a dancer who is torn between her love for dance and her affair with the composer. Stream it on Prime Video, Max, Criterion Channel, Freevee, Tubi and the Roku Channel.

The year before “The Red Shoes,” Powell and Pressburger made the captivating psychological thriller “Black Narcissus,” about a group of nuns who attempt to open a convent in a mountainous village in the Himalayas. Deborah Kerr stars as Sister Clodagh, but it’s Kathleen Byron’s Sister Ruth who will haunt your psyche (as well as co-star David Farrar’s legs in a pair of exceptionally short shorts). Stream “Black Narcissus” on Prime Video, Max, the Criterion Channel, Tubi and the Roku Channel.

Their charming 1945 romance “I Know Where I’m Going!” sets the template for all future Hallmark movies: a headstrong city girl (Wendy Hiller) sets out for the Hebrides in Scotland to marry a wealthy older man. When she’s waylaid by weather and stuck lodging with an earthy, laid-back and handsome Scottish laird (Roger Livesey), her life plans become upended. Stream “I Know Where I’m Going!” on Prime Video, the Criterion Channel, the Roku Channel and Tubi.

Livesey also co-starred in the Powell and Pressburger romantic war films “A Matter of Life and Death” (1946), starring David Niven and Kim Hunter, and “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp” (1943), alongside Kerr. Both set during World War II, they are considered some of the best films made. “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp” is steaming on Prime Video, Max, the Roku Channel, the Criterion Channel and Tubi, while “A Matter of Life and Death” is streaming on the Classix app.

Finally, check out Michael Powell’s cult classic “Peeping Tom” (1960), which he made on his own. This horror film intertwining voyeurism and violence was savaged by critics and almost destroyed his career, though it is now hailed as a masterpiece, and recently received a new Criterion 4K restoration treatment on disc. Stream it on the Criterion Channel, the Roku Channel and Tubi.

This is only part of the Powell and Pressburger collection, but it’s the hits that will help to understand their work, and to stream alongside or before watching “Made in England.”