The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (film)
"The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" is a 1943 British film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger that explores the life of Clive Candy, a British Army officer portrayed by Roger Livesey. Set against the backdrop of the Boer War and World War II, the film chronicles Candy's evolution from a heroic figure to a caricature of outdated military leadership, reflecting the changing dynamics of warfare and society. The character of Colonel Blimp is inspired by a cartoon created by David Low, and the term "Blimp" was commonly used in Britain to criticize the antiquated military establishment.
Upon its release, the film faced significant controversy, notably from Winston Churchill, who believed it undermined military morale and sought to have it censored. Despite his efforts, the film was ultimately approved for distribution, although over an hour of content was cut for its American release, which diminished its satirical impact. Critically, the film was received poorly by some British journalists, who labeled it ineffective propaganda. "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" remains a notable work for its commentary on leadership and its reflection of societal values during a tumultuous period in history.
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (film)
Type of work: Film
Released: 1943
Director: Michael Powell (1905-1990)
Subject matter: The career of a twentieth century British military officer
Significance: Made during World War II, this satire provoked the opposition of Great Britain’s top political leadership
During South Africa’s Boer War Clive Candy (played by Roger Livesey) is a dashing British army officer. As the years pass, he becomes a stuffy reactionary who loses touch with modern military thinking. As Britain is drawn in to the horrors of World War II, he is forced to retire to make way for younger and more aggressive military leadership. By then, Candy is little more than a caricature of “Colonel Blimp”—a cartoon character created by David Low. At the time of the film’s release, “Blimp” was a popular British slang term used to ridicule the archaic leadership in the British military establishment.
Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, apparently believing that this film was designed to ridicule him, campaigned against its production and asked the British Board of Film Censors to reject its script. Unable to halt the film’s production, Churchill tried to have it censored, arguing that its ridiculing of the military during wartime made it a “threat to the morale and discipline of the army.” This effort, too, failed. Churchill’s war cabinet passed the film for export to the United States—on a day when he was absent. However, more than sixty minutes were cut from the film’s 163-minute length for its American distribution. Whether this was done to appease Churchill is not known, but the editing clearly weakened the film’s satirical thrust. Meanwhile, the British press condemned the film as “disastrously bad propaganda.”