Emeric Pressburger
Film director · 5 films (1943–1951)
Emeric Pressburger is a director whose work here spans The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) to The Tales of Hoffmann (1951), across drama and romance. 3 of those films were photographed by Jack Cardiff. The work runs wide — 29% of frames across the 5 films indexed here, against 20% library-wide. All 316 frames from 5 films are indexed here, searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, colour and mood.
Emeric Pressburger was a Hungarian British screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for his series of film collaborations with Michael Powell, in an award-winning collaboration partnership known as the Archers and produced a series of films, notably 49th Parallel (1941), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946, also called Stairway to Heaven), Black Narcissus (1947), The Red Shoes (1948), and The Tales of Hoffmann (1951).
Born 5 December 1902 · Miskolc, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary] · died 5 February 1988
Directing style
Pressburger’s visual style relies on eye-level camera angles and a balanced mix of medium, wide, and closeup compositions to ground the characters within deeply focused interior spaces. Often set at night, these scenes are shaped by practical fixtures, windows, and sunlight, utilizing a saturated Technicolor palette alongside high-contrast black-and-white tones that shift between deep and shallow depths of field. The resulting atmosphere leans into tense, ominous, and mysterious moods, using cool blues, muted greens, and dark charcoal tones punctuated by warm, earthy neutrals.
Awards
- Academy Award for Best Story · 1943
- BAFTA Fellowship · 1981
- Silver Bear for best original music · 1951
Films directed by Emeric Pressburger
About Emeric Pressburger
When was Emeric Pressburger born?
Emeric Pressburger was born on 5 December 1902 in Miskolc, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary] and died on 5 February 1988.
What films has Emeric Pressburger directed?
FrameThrower holds stills from 5 of them: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947), The Red Shoes (1948) and The Tales of Hoffmann (1951).
What awards has Emeric Pressburger won?
Academy Award for Best Story (1943), BAFTA Fellowship (1981) and Silver Bear for best original music (1951).
Search every frame of Emeric Pressburger’s films
All 316 indexed frames from 5 films directed by Emeric Pressburger — searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, mood or plain language.