Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker discuss Gone to Earth and its restoration

The 64th New York Film Festival, which closes on Sunday, saw the world premiere of a new restoration of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1950 film Gone to Earth.

This is one of their less celebrated films, but as it was shot in the Stiperstones in Technicolor, it is a favourite of mine. Because of my Shropshire obsession, I have made two people watch it with me and both enjoyed it.

Here Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker discuss the film and its restoration. One thing I didn't know before watching this is that both Powell's parents came from the Welsh border. In an interview he once said:

All my family on my mother's side come from Worcestershire and Shropshire (my father's side is from the Welsh Marches), so I was quite keen to do it as I knew the people, the country, the voices. It was a very good story but rather melodramatic.

The restoration of Gone to Earth was also shown in London this week. Someone who was there told me on Bluesky:

The restoration has greatly improved it. You are drawn into the story, and largely held by it, rather than being distracted by the decayed grading of previous versions. The sound has been cleaned up too, so the dialogue is more involving. Lovely touches of humour emerged.