A Canterbury Tale

The team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (who wrote, directed and produced The Red Shoes) found inspiration in Chaucer's medieval collection Canterbury Tales for this modern version of pilgrims in search of blessings. Sgt. Peter Gibbs (Dennis Price) and Sgt. Bob Johnson (John Sweet) are British and American soldiers, respectively, who along with a city girl named Joan (Sheila Sim) find themselves in a small village outside of Canterbury. Walking together in search of an inn, the party is attacked, and the attacker pours glue in Joan's hair. When they report the deed to Thomas Culpepper (Eric Portman), the local magistrate, Culpepper tells them that many women in the area have been doused by the "Glue Man." For most of the film the trio assemble clues, determined to find and arrest the sticky criminal. In a somewhat implausible denouement, viewers learn that the glue treatment is something of a moral imperative--and the trio forgive the culprit. Feminists are not likely to appreciate the circular logic that ties up the plot at the end, and overall, one feels that A Canterbury Tale is more a grand experiment that didn't quite work, rather than a satisfying movie. An optional purchase. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review—July 25, 2006—Criterion, 2 discs, 124 min., not rated, $39.95—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1944's A Canterbury Tale sports a fantastic transfer with Dolby Digital mono sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by film historian Ian Christie, two scenes from the American version with John Sweet and Kim Hunter, an interview with actress Sheila Sim, a 25-minute 'Listen to Britain' segment featuring an original 1942 documentary and a short clip on a museum video installation piece, 'A Canterbury Trail' walking tour of the film's locations (24 min.), 'John Sweet: A Pilgrim's Return,' a featurette about costar Sweet's first visit back to Canterbury since the film (23 min.), and a booklet featuring essays. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a flawed film.]