Review of 49th Parallel

Introduction

The 49th Parallel is a WWII propaganda film commissioned by the Minstry of Information, and made by great British director Michale Powell. It tells its story from the Nazis’ point of view: a damaged U-boat is stranded in a Canadian village, where they encounter a number of people with vastly different views on the War.

Video

The picture is presented in its original aspect ratio, 4:3, and in black-and-white. Whilst this is nowhere near a flawless picture – there are plenty of print marks, specks and scratches – I’m sure this looks better than you would find it on TV or VHS.

Audio

The film is accompanied by 2-channel audio, which reproduces dialogue clearly and without hiss. However, as this is a mono recording, there are no stereo effects.

Features

Nothing but a trailer I’m afraid.

Conclusion

According to the quote from Monthly Film Bulletin, this is “excellent propaganda”…and I would have to agree. It is well-made (despite the poor continuity editing) and well-acted by Lawrence Olivier (Hamlet, Marathon Man) and Leslie Howard (Gone with the Wind, Pygmalion) in particular. However, as a film, a piece of entertainment, it has aged a lot and is rather dull. Good watching if you’re interested in how the public opinion on American Isolationism changed in the early years of the War, but a little boring otherwise.