49th Parallel
United Kingdom • 1941
Director
#376Criterion Collection →Synopsis
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 during 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.
Synopsis
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 during 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.
Credits
Crew
DirectorMichael Powell
WriterEmeric Pressburger
CinematographerFreddie Young
ComposerRalph Vaughan Williams
EditorDavid Lean
ProducerMichael Powell
Cast
Leslie Howardas Philip Armstrong Scott
Laurence Olivieras Johnnie, the Trapper
Raymond Masseyas Andy Brock
Anton Walbrookas Peter