49th Parallel (1941)

49th Parallel: Directed by Michael Powell. With Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey, Laurence Olivier, Anton Walbrook. A World War II U-boat crew are stranded in northern Canada. To avoid internment, they must make their way to the border and get into the still-neutral U.S.

“Itu0026#39;s a pity this movie is so little known, as it is so much better than the ridiculous portrayals of Canada in those silly Nelson Eddy movies. With Powell-Pressburger and Laurence Olivier involved, you have a right to expect quality…and you get it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePressburgeru0026#39;s script won him an Oscar, and this is the best aspect of the film. The U-boat crew on the run through Canada is taken through a variety of communities and landscapes, but setting part of the story in a Hutterite commune was a stroke of genius. These ethnic-German fundamentalists (similar to Mennonites and Amish) are hospitable towards the fugitives, but react with horror to the Lieutenantu0026#39;s attempts to kindle some German patriotism and convert them to his cause. Although the Hutterite leader (nicely played by Anton Walbrook) is made to give some sententious speeches about freedom, the whole episode is very sensitively played and really makes us feel we have set foot inside a Hutterite commune.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWalbrook and Glynis Johns (as a young Hutterite girl) give the best performances, along with Raymond Massey as a Canadian AWOL soldier who discovers his conscience when it is really needed.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Germans seem like stage-brutes, but it would be unreasonable to expect the subtlety of u0026quot;Das Bootu0026quot; in 1941. They are given individual characters, however, notably Niall McGinnis playing a kindly sailor with some scruples – who is executed by his comrades when he prefers to stay with the Hutterites.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLaurence Olivier plays a French Canadian Hudsonu0026#39;s Bay Company factor. Although his performance is rotten, the character is interesting. The script bravely has him express pro-fascist sympathies before he discovers the true nature of the intruders, and this actually represents French-Canadian opinion in 1941; the Nazi commander tries to undermine his loyalty by referring to English oppression, a useless foreign war, etc. A film made by Canadians would never have dared to touch these sensitive subjects.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe tone and pacing of the film are similar to Hitchcock. It works very nicely as popular entertainment; you have to tolerate some patriotic speeches, but there are only about four, and reasonably well-expressed. The democratic message is better conveyed by the interactions between the fugitives and the unconcerned civilians living in a democratic society.”