#376: POWELL, Michael: 49th Parallel (1941)

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POWELL, Michael (United Kingdom)
49th Parallel [1941]
Spine #376
DVD


At once a compelling piece of anti-isolationist propaganda and a quick-witted wartime thriller, 49th Parallel is a classic early work from the inimitable British filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. When a Nazi U-boat crew, headed by the ruthless Eric Portman, is stranded in Canada in the thick of World War II, the men evade capture by hiding out in a series of rural communities, before trying to cross the border into the still-neutral United States. Both soul stirring and delightfully entertaining, 49th Parallel features a colorful cast of characters played by larger-than-life actors Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook, and Leslie Howard.

123 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2007
Director/Writers


Original story and screenplay by Pressburger.
Michael Powell was 36 when he directed 49th Parallel.

Other Powell films in the Collection:

#58: Peeping Tom (1960)

The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Twenty-page booklet featuring essays by Charles Barr and Powell.

Commentary

By film and music historian Bruce Eder.

The Volunteer

A 1943 Powell and Pressburger war-effort short starring Ralph Richardson.
Excerpts

From Powell’s audio dictations for his autobiography.
A Pretty British Affair

A BBC documentary on the careers of Powell and Pressburger, which considers their World War II-era collaborations and features rare footage of the filmmakers together.
Original theatrical trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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