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Either way, Livesey is impressive, something of a blowhard, but always correctly emotional as the title character; you may assume that, based on the title, this movie will be about a figure of ridicule, but there's no such trappings to be found. He's also supported by Anton Walbrook as Theo, certainly a supporting character, but incredibly important. Late in the game, as the older Theo tries to explain why he has come back to the United Kingdom, back to his good friend Wynne-Candy, he delivers a speech, one that is so riveting, so fascinating, so sad, yet so exultant, that we aren't watching actors. Powell and Pressburger have written out full lives here, and the actors spend their entire time on-screen making sure we are aware of the lives these people have lead.

The notable star, as mentioned above, is Kerr, who would later appear in such films as The King & I and From Here to Eternity. As a relative newcomer, she has a far more challenging time of things. She first appears as Edith Hunter; then, she is Barbara, Wynne-Candy's wife; finally, in the World War II sequence, she is Angela "Johnny" Cannon, the chipper young driver who Wynne-Candy hires; the scene where she is introduced to Theo and to us is by turns chilling and wondrous. What's more, that scene is not punctuated by music, a loud sting of violins, alerting us to the shock of seeing the same actress a third time. Here, the look on Theo's face is all the shock we need to see or feel. That aside, Kerr is warm, engaging, and altogether believable as three women who all earn Wynne-Candy's admiration and adoration.

The films of Powell and Pressburger, including Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes, aren't forgotten by any means; the latter film is perhaps their most famous work. However, British cinema in general isn't often recognized by many people; even the Ealing comedies or the early work by David Lean may go forgotten by some film buffs. I'm guilty, to this point, of not reveling in this duo's work, but with my foray here, I'm eager to see the rest of their filmography. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp may not be a heavily plotted film, but as a fully realized biography of someone not so ordinary as to be forgotten, but not so extraordinary as to be championed, is a satisfying achievement.

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