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 – Richard III

This week’s movie: Richard III (1955).

This film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Richard III about the wicked deformed King of England; his conquests on the battlefield and scheming behind closed doors.

The film is directed by Laurence Olivier following up the wonderful job he did adapting Hamlet for the screen. Olivier shot the film in Technicolor and VistaVision, and it looks magnificent with great aesthetics. He worked with composer William Walton, cinematographer Otto Heller, and production designer Roger K. Furse.

Olivier also stars in the film as Richard III. The film boasts a strong supporting cast including Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, and Claire Bloom (many of which were well known for their work on stage performing Shakespeare).

The film is ambitious, radiant, and above all very well acted. Olivier is brilliant as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, an ugly hunchback with an unyielding desire for power and a silver tongue. Like Hamlet, Olivier’s film is almost just as impressive for its aesthetics as its performances. With Richard III, he takes full advantage of the colors and scope afforded him by VistaVision and Technicolor. This is a must-see for Shakespeare fans.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Video On-Demand

Movie of the Week – Hamlet

This week’s movie: Hamlet (1948)

This is Laurence Olivier’s adaptation of the William Shakespeare play about the Prince of Denmark, who believes that his uncle murdered his father to marry his mother and become King.

The film is directed by Olivier who also stars as Hamlet. It features wonderfully moody aesthetics, as Olivier worked with cinematographer Desmond Dickinson and art director Carmen Dillon (who won an Oscar, as did costume designer Roger Furse). The score from William Walton is also very good.

In addition to Olivier, the cast features John Laurie, Esmond Knight, Anthony Quayle, Peter Cushing, Eileen Herlie, Basil Sydney, Felix Aylmer, and Jean Simmons. For those really paying attention, Christopher Lee and Desmond Llewelyn have tiny roles as well.

Laurence Olivier is one of the great British actors. He came to prominence in the 1930s, playing both Romeo and Mercutio in alternate performances of Romeo and Juliet on the London Stage. With 1940’s Alfred Hitchcock film Rebecca, Olivier was an international star. He turned his focus on bringing Shakespeare to cinema, first with Henry V and then with Hamlet and Richard III. Hamlet is phenomenal. It won four Oscars including Best Picture and Actor (for Olivier); however, it was not well received by purists who did not like his “modern” interpretation and staging when it was initially released. Today, the film feels like a classical take on the play, given the many versions we have seen since, but in its day it was quite edgy. Olivier is able to make the play come alive like no other film adaptation. It is my personal favorite (followed by Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet).

Trailer: Here

Available on: DVD and Video On-Demand

Movie of the Week - Rebecca

This week’s movie is Rebecca (1940).

The drama is about a young girl who meets a rich troubled widower in the south of France. They fall in love with each other and are married. But when he brings her back to his family home, she is haunted by his former wife’s memory and grip over the household. The film is a cinematic masterpiece with brilliant directing, performances and some of the best photography in film history. It is Alfred Hitchcock’s first film he made in America, working with producer David O. Selznick (though, while this was indeed his first film made in Hollywood, his first truly American film in feel is Shadow of a Doubt). The score by composer Franz Waxman is very good and moody, fitting the gothic themes at play visually and in the narrative. Art director Lyle R. Wheeler’s sets and design work are also wonderful and fitting. Everything is big, almost swallowing up Mrs. de Winter. However, cinematographer George Barnes (maybe the best D.P. of all-time) does the standout work of the picture. Joan Fontaine looks lovely in the film, while his use of shadows takes full advantage of the black-and-white format. From a cinematography standpoint, this is a masterwork (and he won the Best Cinematography Oscar for his work). Both stars Fontaine and Laurence Olivier are fantastic, and there is also excellent supporting work from George Sanders, C. Aubrey Smith and especially Judith Anderson. The film won the 1941 Oscar’s Best Picture (the only film directed by Hitchcock to win Best Picture). It is aesthetically one of the best examples of the wonderful work being done during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Hitchcock has a filmography that boasts many classics, but Rebecca is probably the best of his early career (and I also really like The 39 Steps, Notorious, Suspicion, and Shadow of a Doubt too). This is a must see for all cinema fans. Check out the trailer.

Available on Criterion Collection DVD, DVD and to Rent