Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s beloved classic A Canterbury Tale is a profoundly personal journey to Powell’s bucolic birthplace of Kent, England. Set amid the tumult of the Second World War, yet with a rhythm as delicate as a lullaby, the film follows three modern-day incarnations of Chaucer’s pilgrims—a melancholy “landgirl,” a plainspoken American GI, and a resourceful British sergeant—who are waylaid in the English countryside en route to the mythical town and forced to solve a bizarre village crime. Building to a majestic climax that ranks as one of the filmmaking duo’s finest achievements, the dazzling A Canterbury Tale has acquired a following of devotees passionate enough to qualify as pilgrims themselves.
SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary by film historian Ian Christie
- Excerpts from the American Version, with Kim Hunter
- New video interview with actress Sheila Sim
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A Pilgrim’s Return, a documentary about John Sweet, by Nick Burton and Eddie McMillan
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A Canterbury Trail, a new documentary visiting the film locations, by David Thompson
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Listen to Britain, 2001 video installation piece inspired by A Canterbury Tale, by artist Victor Burgin
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Listen to Britain, a 1942 documentary by Humphrey Jennings
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Graham Fuller, Peter von Bagh, and actor John Sweet
