Gone to Earth might just be my favorite Powell/Pressburger movie. It may not be as fine a film as their other, better known endeavors---in fact I'm sure it's not. But it's by far the one that resonates most with me personally. I've always felt very detached emotionally from their movies, even if I am enthralled by their beauty. Gone to Earth is a beauty, filmed in some of the loveliest English countryside locations you'll ever see in a film and there is painstaking authenticity in every detail to recreate this part of the world in another century. But it doesn't feel like the other movies and for reasons that perhaps many will fault it for in comparison. Powell himself was not entirely satisfied with the result, according to his memoirs, perhaps in part because it was based, too closely he thought, on a novel and he preferred original works to adaptations, and because he expressed concern that the film looked too "realistic".
Jennifer Jones plays "Hazel", a half-Gypsy wild-child who's grown up free from the blessings of civilization, and cleanliness, with her harp-playing, bee-keeper Father. Although not explicitly stated, she has apparently recently come of age (and somewhat obviated by Jennifer's actual
appearance---she was 31 when the picture was made), and therefore catches the eye of all the men who see her (as a fox who's been scented by the hounds, as the film will reveal), especially the wandering eye of the local Squire (played with menacing debauchery by David Farrar) and the little country parson, played with becoming intensity and dignity by the brilliant Cyril Cusak. The parson gets to her quicker so he weds her but that won't stop the Squire. Pressburger and Powell take these elements and cook up a moody film about the difference between love and longing, belief and the power of superstition as well as commenting along the way on small town hypocracies, the harmony and discord between man and nautre---and incidentally providing Hugh Griffith with a part worthy of his colorful personality and gifts.
Thelma Schoonmaker (editor, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Aviator, etc.) introduced her husband Michael Powell's film and stayed after for questions. One interesting tidbit dropped by Miss Schoonmaker (and which is mentioned in Powell's memoirs) is that Jennifer Jones and Cyril
Cusak apparently got along VERY well and that Jennifer almost ran away with him after filming. Something, or someone, changed her mind though, and they were not to be. How tantalizing!
She also confirmed that A Matter of Life and Death will be coming to DVD, perhaps by the end of this year, courtesy of Martin Scorsese who is putting together a package which will include documentaries along with Powell's last film, Age of Consent.
It's a lovely excursion into another world and time and worthy of being better know and appreciated. I hope fans of the other Powell and Pressburger films will look for it on DVD.
And I still would like to see the Selznick version again to compare.
TCM aught to consider airing both versions one night.
But I don't want to see the 'Selznick version' which is just a shorten version of Powell's film.
