49th Parallel

Time hasn't been particularly kind to this 1941 propaganda effort from filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, which had the double distinction of providing a rare tribute to Canada's contribution to the Allied war effort while also trying to edge the then-neutral United States into World War II. The latter ploy was ill-timed (the film didn't receive an American release until 1942, thus making it a moot point in the wake of Pearl Harbor), while the tribute to the Canadians comes across as very strange today (the Canadians are presented as a goofy and rather silly bunch, particularly in Laurence Olivier's broad interpretation of a Quebec fur trapper). The plot finds a group of Nazi sailors (with conspicuous British accents) stranded in Canada after their submarine is bombed: as the humorless martinet Germans head from Nova Scotia to Vancouver for a rendezvous with a Japanese submarine, they encounter resistance from guest stars Raymond Massey, Leslie Howard, and a young Glynis Johns. Chinese actor Ley On is also on hand as a comic relief Eskimo cook, clearly playing the Inuit version of Stepin Fetchit (complete with broken English and clownish subservience). Although the film won an Oscar for its screenplay, today 49th Parallel is likely to win more grimaces and groans than trophies. DVD extras include audio commentary by film scholar Bruce Eder, the rarely-seen Powell/Pressburger 1943 short “The Volunteer,” a BBC documentary on the duo's careers, excerpts from Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography, and a booklet. Powell/Pressburger completists will want to pick up, but this is strictly optional for others. (P. Hall)