Black Narcissus (DVD, 2001, Criterion Collection)

Black Narcissus has become one of my ten favorite movies. I first rented it on Netflix and loved it so much that I had to buy it on e-bay. No single disc DVD is worth the $35-40 that Criterion charges in ordinary stores.
The plot is interesting, but not something I would ordinarily think I would enjoy. It focuses on a group of nuns establishing a religious community in the Himalayas. They establish their hospital, children's school and convent in a temple on a mountain. Oddly enough the temple used to house the wives of the king of the area (one level above that of a whorehouse you could say) and the atmosphere of the place takes its toll on the nuns' minds and emotions over the ensuing months.
The film is subtly erotic and beautifully shot. This is technicolor cinematography at its very best. The set was completely constructed inside a studio but is able to believably depict the gorgeous Himalayan scenery.
The performances are wonderful all around especially Kathleen Byron as the most emotional of the nuns.
Black Narcissus is a melodrama, but there is only one scene that feels over-the-top to me.
This is a nearly perfect film. One of the best british movies ever made and certainly their best to come out of the 1940s. I recommend it.