Cheap 49th Parallel - Criterion Collection (DVD) (Michael Powell) Price

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Customer Reviews of 49th Parallel - Criterion Collection

Very nearly 4 stars for the first feature-length movie ever to be filmed in Canada.
"You talk about a new order in Europe," say Peter, the equal of members of a community of faith-based Canadians trying to live simple lives, to several Germans availing themselves of the shelter of Peter's roof. The German survivors of a U-boat that was sunk from out under them appeal to Peter's people as fellows of German descent, to salute Nazism, but Peter will, he says, have no part of "A new order...where there's a hole not big enough for a mouse, where a decent man can breathe freely." "You and your Hitlerism are like the microbes of some filthy disease filled with the longing to multiply yourselves until you destroy everything healthy in the world. No, we are not your brothers," he concludes." Later one of the Germans sits down with peter. Peter asks him, "How can a man like you...I mean you're a simple good human being. How can you get mixed up with such a lot of gangsters?" The German responds: "What can you do. When you're a boy you like playing soldiers. When you're a young man you cannot get work unless you belong to them. When you're an old man you're anxious not to lose what you've got." Peter: "But there are thousands of men like you. Men who don't like the way things are going." German: " I suppose so. I suppose they don't know themselves. I didn't know." Peter: "It's as if a blind man said he doesn't know the sun shines." "I suppose so," the German agrees. Peter: "Why don't you stay with us?" "Do You mean it?" "Of course I mean it" "Even if you know who I am, where I come from?" "I don't care who you are, where you come from." <
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>Oddly, the supposed stars herein (Lawrence Olivier & Leslie Howard) are the least captivating characters. Fortunately, both don't appear for long in this otherwise well-acted, and captivating, film. Howard plays a writer living in the woods who amazingly just happens to have a Picasso canvas (yes, unframed) in his tee pee. Later one of the Germans destroys it to reinforce the point that Nazi's care not for such things in life (notwithstanding Hitler's legions having looted half of Europe's art treasures). The scene just tries to do too much an ought really have been edited down, but it's one of Leslie Howard's few scenes. The best performance is given by Anton Walbrook who plays Peter (Glynis Johns also makes a lasting impression in this film), but the actors portraying the Germans are believable as well; as is Raymond Massey (albeit in a small part). Massey, the Canadian solider who is 'slightly' AWOL at the time, berates a lone Nazi with these lines: "Why you spoon-fed louse. I can grouse about the food [in the army] and the CO [commanding officer], and anything I blame please. And that's more than you with your gestapo and your storm troopers and your Aryan bushwa---Aww, nuts, what's the good of talking to ya. You cannot even begin to understand democracy. We own the right to be fed-up with anything we damn please and say so out loud when we feel like it. And when things go wrong we can take it. We can dish it out too. " Such is the point of the film, a 1942 Canadian film to trumpet its fighting spirit; as evinced by the characters played by Olivier, Howard, Massey, and assorted others who appear simple folk, but when pushed rise to the occasion. It's an above average 2 hour and 2 minute film, all in all. Were it edited to an hour and forty something minutes It would have been half again more effective, however, or such is my opinion at least. Cheers

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A legendary five stars film!
This is a gripping war drama around the misfortunes of the famous German U- boat, sunk off Canada and the eventual dramatis personae of its survivors trying to reach some safety in neutral territory. One of the most reminded films of the WW2. Cast and direction are superb. <
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>Another point game for that unforgettable British director: Michael Powell (The red shoes, Peeping Tom, Black Narcissus, I know where I'm going) <
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Very Entertaining!
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this movie. I imagine that it was very effective during WWII, because even now it made me want to grab Hirth and throw him into a lake. My favorite scenes were the Hutterite meeting speechs and Leslie Howard capturing one of the Germans. Finlay Currie did a good job as the trading post owner, and Laurence Olivier was amusing, if a little fake on the accent. All in all, this is a movie I would definitely watch again!