The Small Back Room
This gripping character study, an influence on Kathryn Bigelow’s 2008 Oscar winner The Hurt Locker, tells of a neurotic and alcoholic munitions expert (David Farrar) during World War II. The story’s climax—a long, tense scene of bomb disposal—is a virtuoso suspense sequence, one of the most memorable in the filmography of legendary team Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The digital restoration of The Small Back Room also offers a uniquely atmospheric evocation of the British wartime home front.
Tickets
- $9 general admission, $2 discount for MFAH members, students with ID, seniors (65+)
Plan Your Visit
- This screening takes place in Brown Auditorium Theater on the lower level of the Law Building.
- Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map
Underwriting for the Film Department is provided by Tenaris, The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation, and the Vaughn Foundation.
Generous funding is provided by The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea; Nina and Michael Zilkha; Lois Chiles; Foundation for Independent Media Arts; Franci Neely; Ms. Laurence Unger; and ILEX Foundation.
The Small Back Room
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
(UK, 1949, 107 minutes, in English)
Brown Auditorium Theater, 4K digital restoration