The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1945)
United Artists | Release Date: May 4, 1945 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
93
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is a film of balance and insight--a civilized film, which even in a time of war celebrates civilized values. Read full review
100
The GuardianPeter Bradshaw
This glorious film is about the greatest mystery of all: how old people were once young, and how young people are in the process of becoming old. Read full review
100
The Observer (UK)Philip French
Arguably the finest British film made during the second world war. Read full review
90
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
One of the most celebrated films from the extraordinary director-writer partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP is a warm and wise work that displays extraordinary generosity of spirit. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Powell and Pressburger bring their combination of good humor, visual flair, and unflinching insight to the three telling episodes that make up the film's 160-minute run time. Read full review
90
BBCMark Allison
A visually rich and morally ambiguous parable of our recent history, it is a paean to decency in an indecent age and a timelessly potent satire of class and nationalism. Read full review
100
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
It stands as very possibly the finest film ever made in Britain. Read full review
100
CineVueDaniel Green
Cited as a key influence by such contemporary directorial talents as Martin Scorsese and Wes Anderson, this most epic of dramas has lost almost none of its bite, wit and aesthetic beauty over the past 69 years, and stands proudly as one of the greatest cinematic works from the legendary filmmaking duo. Read full review
100
ColliderAndre Dellamorte
Shot in three-strip Technicolor, it’s simply one of the most gorgeous films ever made, and in terms of composing a frame, Michael Powell was a master. Read full review
100
EmpireAlan Morrison
A wonderful salute to British decency and a touching portrait of a friendship that bridges national boundaries. Read full review
100
Entertainment WeeklyTim Purtell
Controversy aside, ”Blimp” splendidly marries a sprawling narrative to stunningly imaginative filmmaking. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger Moore
Pacing aside, “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp” is an intensely lovable picture, a daring comedy that went against the “patriotism first” ethos of the war films of its day. Read full review
80
The New York TimesBosley Crowther
Colonel Blimp is as unmistakably a British product as Yorkshire pudding and, like the latter, it has a delectable savor all its own. Read full review
80
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Here is an excellent film whose basic story could have been told within normal feature limits, but which, instead, is extended close to three hours. Longer or shorter, this panorama of British army life is depicted with a technical skill and artistry that marks it as one of the really fine pix to come out of a British studio. Read full review
80
The IndependentStaff (Not Credited)
Though it was out of step with contemporary sensibilities, Powell and Pressburger's Technicolor epic increasingly seems the Citizen Kane of English war movies. [19 Mar 2011, p.26]
100
The TelegraphStaff (Not Credited)
Moving but funny, serious but light of touch, it's a classic. [18 May 2024, p.22]
75
LarsenOnFilmJosh Larsen
There are clear reasons why some might consider The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp their definitive film: its very Britishness, its doomed romanticism, its cheeky bits of humor, and moments like the crane shot during Candy and Kretschmar-Schuldorff’s duel. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineJaime N. Christley
Few other British films from that period seem to mythologize the pre-war period of Churchill's youth and early career quite as potently as Colonel Blimp. Read full review
100
Time OutJoshua Rothkopf
Of all the things to be nostalgic about, warfare would seem the least likely candidate, but that's the unusual perspective of this one-of-a-kind 1943 landmark - maybe the most wonderfully British movie ever made. Read full review
80
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
A 1943 Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger collaboration so unambiguously satirizing the military mind-set that Prime Minister Winston Churchill tried to have it banned. Read full review
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