History Film / BlackNarcissus

* JunglesSoundLikeKookaburras: The kookaburra can be heard in the bamboo forests of Himalayan foothills.
* KubrickStare: The signal that [[spoiler: Sister Ruth is really starting to come unglued comes when she shoots a really, really [[http://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Black-Narcissus-Sister-Ruth-Unstable.jpg unsettling Kubrick Stare]] at Sister Clodagh right after Sister Clodagh suggests that Ruth is getting too fond of Mr. Dean. Ruth does this several more times over the course of the movie as she gets crazier and crazier.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Sister Ruth is just said to be ill or troubled, and she latches on to Mr Dean simply because he speaks kindly to her a couple of times. But she also is very narrow-minded and displays casual racism and prejudice - suggesting she could just have had a sheltered upbringing.

** Sister Clodagh is still called Clodagh in the flashbacks to her pre-convent life. Nuns always take a new name when first taking their vows. Of course, since the flashbacks are framed from her subjective impression, and are done in a very stylized manner (as noted by Scorsese and Powell on the Criterion commentary), it might be that Clodagh has retrofitted her post-vocational name back to her pre-vocation life. In the miniseries she reveals to Mr. Dean that her name was originally [[spoiler: Katherine]] as [[spoiler: the nuns leave]].

* FanDisservice: Done very stealthily with Kathleen Byron, one of the most beautiful women in the history of cinema. First she's given a pale face, chapped lips and red-rimmed eyes; then over time they make the only character in the film who's visibly sweaty; then, as she abandons the veil and starts to wear make-up, she clearly has bad skin under the makeup on her forehead; until by the end she pretty much looks like an [[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0039192/mediaviewer/rm3252912129/ actual corpse]].

* FanDisservice: Done very stealthily with Kathleen Byron, one of the most beautiful women in the history of cinema. First she's given a pale face, chapped lips and red-rimmed eyes; then over time they make the only character in the film who's visibly sweaty; then, as she abandons the veil and starts to wear make-up, she clearly has bad skin under the makeup on her forehead; until by the end she pretty much looks like an actual corpse.

* BettyAndVeronica: With Mr Dean as the Archie, the demure Sister Clodagh as the Betty and the psychopath Sister Ruth as the Veronica. But it veers into deconstruction - Sister Clodagh refuses to act on any of her inner feelings, Mr Dean is hinted to be {{Asexual}} and uninterested in any relationships, and Sister Ruth [[spoiler: goes mad after being rejected.]]

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Sister Clodagh is still called Clodagh in the flashbacks to her pre-convent life. Nuns always take a new name when first taking their vows. Of course, since the flashbacks are framed from her subjective impression, and are done in a very stylized manner (as noted by Scorsese and Powell on the Criterion commentary), it might be that Clodagh has retrofitted her post-vocational name back to her pre-vocation life.
** In the miniseries she reveals to Mr. Dean that her name was originally [[spoiler: Katherine]] as [[spoiler: the nuns leave]].

** Sister Clodagh says of her former beau Conn "I had already shown that I loved him", which seems to imply that they had premarital sex. As she is Irish, it's possible Clodagh fled the Magdalene Laundries where she could have been sent as punishment.

* SceneryPorn: Despite being accomplished by elaborate sets and matte paintings. The whole film was shot in England, mostly Creator/PinewoodStudios.

* EvilMakeover: [[spoiler: Sister Ruth putting on her makeup in front of Sister Clodagh.]]

* YoungAndInCharge: Mother Dorothea mentions that Sister Clodagh is exceptionally young to be in charge of a convent. [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]] since [[RealityEnsues she can't handle the responsibility,]] especially with the HostileWeather and isolation driving everyone out of their wits, and the nuns eventually have to leave.

-->And that for stealing in my house! That for stealing a brass chain which is only worth two annas! That for stealing it in such a silly way! And that...is for getting found out!

* BettyAndVeronica: With Mr Dean as the Archie, the demure Sister Clodagh as the Betty and the psychopath Sister Ruth as the Veronica. But it veers into deconstruction - Sister Clodagh refuses to act on any of her inner feelings, Mr Dean is hinted to be {{Asexual}} and uninterested in any relationships, and Sister Ruth [[spoiler: goes mad after being rejected.]]/

* {{Brownface}}: Of the major Indian characters, only the Young General is played by an actual Indian actor, [[Film/TheThiefOfBagdad1940 Sabu]]. The others are whites in makeup, most obviously the very very white Jean Simmons. Averted with the background characters, many of whom were Indian Nationals who were working at the Rotherhithe docks.

** Sister Ruth is shown aggressively taking a parcel from Joseph, trying to stop him from letting Sister Clodagh see it. [[spoiler: Turns out to be a red dress]].

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Young General's name, Philip, is said once before he arrives, but he's referred to as General by the others. In a meta example, synopses and reviews usually call him Young General too.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* YoungAndInCharge: Mother Dorothea mentions that Sister Clodagh is exceptionally young to be in charge of a convent. [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]] since [[RealityEnsues she can't handle the responsibility,]] especially with the HostileWeather and isolation driving everyone out of their wits, and the nuns eventually have to leave.

* TagAlongKid: Joseph Anthony lives in the convent to act as an interpreter for the nuns.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The film is dripping with innuendos.
** The Old General mentions importing plenty of sausages for the nuns to eat.
** When the nuns first meet Mr Dean, Sister Clodagh says she wants to talk to him on business. He responds "I don't suppose you want to talk to me about anything else" - prompting an offended look from Sister Briony.
** Mr Dean says of the Old General "he too is a superior being" - again getting a scandalised look from the nuns.
** When Mr Dean asks Clodagh to take in Kanchi and the nun is studying the young woman, he watches the pair of them with barely disguised amusement and almost lasciviously asks "You're sure there's no question you're ''dying'' to ask me?" practically daring Clodagh to demand whether Kanchi is his lover. She refuses to ask, so the viewer never finds out either way.
** The Young General mistakenly says he'll study physics "with the physical sister".
** Sister Clodagh says of her former beau Conn "I had already shown that I loved him", which seems to imply that they had premarital sex. As she is Irish, it's possible Clodagh fled the Magdalene Laundries where she could have been sent as punishment.