Movie of the Week – 49th Parallel

This week’s movie: 49^th Parallel (1941)

The year is 1941. The United States is still neutral as war has engulfed the globe. Canada, however, has been fighting with their British and French allies. A German U-boat has been ravaging the waters near Eastern Canada, but the allies are moving in. To stay concealed, the Germans decide to hide in the Hudson Bay – a place where no one would ever look for them. Once there, the captain of the boat sends out a reconnaissance team to look for supplied; however once the team reaches the coast, the U-boat is spotted by Canadian patrol planes and destroyed. Now, the German survivors must make their way through Canada without being discovered.

The film is by brilliant auteurs the Archers (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressbuger). It is one of their earliest projects together, and already showed-off their creative chemistry and the promise of the wonderful work that was to come from them during the 1940s. The film was nominated for Best Picture and Pressburger won an Oscar for his writing. They worked with composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, cinematographer Freddie Young, editor David Lean, and art director David Rawnsley (Young and Lean would later make the brilliant epics Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago together).

The film has an excellent cast (featuring a few actors that worked frequently with the Archers). Eric Portman, Laurence Olivier, Finlay Currie, Anton Walbrook, Leslie Howard, and Raymond Massey star in the film. On a side note, the more I watch Anton Walbrook the more I find that he is becoming one of my favorite actors. He is just incredible.

49^th Parallel is a propaganda film, like many of the films made during WWII. It is a film aimed at showcasing the spirit and diversity of the Canadian people, willing to come to the aide of Europe to fight against the Nazis. To this degree, it is an effective film, as it does provide many different characters, all played by great actors. The name of the film comes from the border between the United States and Canada, the largest unprotected border in the world. This is probably not a film for everyone, but for those who enjoy WWII era films or who want to see all the great films that the Archers made (something I do really encourage) it is a good little film. I am always surprised to see Laurence Olivier pop up in it as a French-Canadian trapper. He made this almost right after Rebecca playing almost the polar opposite type of character.

Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD and Video On-Demand (or you can watch the film on YouTube here)

Movie of the Week – A Canterbury Tale

This week’s movie: A Canterbury Tale (1944).

The mystery drama centers around three people who meet in the small town of Kent on their way to Canterbury – a land girl, an American GI, and a British solider. After the girl is assaulted by the mysterious glue-man, the three are determined to discover his identity.

The film is written and directed by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (known as the Archers). While it is not as grand as many of their films, it is strikingly compelling and philosophically engaging. Powell and Pressburger made it right in the middle of their string of master works from 1943-1948 (including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, I Know Where I’m Going!, Stairway to Heaven, Black Narcissus, and The Red Shoes). The Archers worked with composer Allan Gray, cinematographer Erwin Hillier, and production designer Alfred Junge on the film.

The film stars Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price, Charles Hawtrey, and John Sweet (an actual Sargent in the U.S. Army who was cast to give the character a very naturalistic feel – and he is fantastic).

A Canterbury Tale is a forgotten gem from one of cinema’s greatest filmmaking teams. It is a kind-hearted film that strives to evoke some sort of emotional revelation within the viewer – much like the characters experience. The film was made during WWII and can also be read as a sort of railing cry detailing the people, ideas, values, and traditions that the allies were fighting for. But, the war seems somewhat removed even with two of the main characters being soldiers, as again this is very much a layered spiritual journey (that merely begins with the detective plot to discover who the glue-man is). It is not a canonized work and thus is maybe not an essential film for cinema historians, but I highly recommend it for those looking for films that offer deeper meaning.

Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD