8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Prime Propaganda From Powell and Pressburger

A Customer from Falkirk Scotland, 9th July, 2004

Powell and Pressburger worked together on a number of great films- some of which were set during war time (Colonel Blimp, A Matter of Life and Death, Canterbury Tale). But they didn't sucumb to the pressure to create flag waving propaganda movies (if you are looking for that have a wee look at 'Mrs Miniver'). P+P portray 'the enemy' as humans. It's subtle. The 49th Parallel follows a group of German U Boat survivors on a trip over Canada as they try to get to America (at this part of the war they would have been safe if they made it to America). They meet lots of people who have liberal ways of living which they don't understand. It's really an prototype road movie. Well worth a watch (as is any P+P movie).

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3 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Guest Star Propaganda

WBarklam from from London, 5th March, 2005

This film, generally overlooked amongst the British War film continent, features a strong roster of film stars, most of which, however, hardly interact with each other! The constant star of the show, Eric Portman, plays a determined but naive Nazi intent on carrying Hitler's message across to Canada.

Niall Macguiness is particularly poignant in his portrayal of the turnaround Nazi who realises his back-to-basis homespun roots only too late, and Anton Walbrook must be considered in this (and in "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp") as the greatest sit-down orator there ever was committed to film. The script gradually releases its preachy tones and variety and an assured pace take over. The only disappointment is Larry Olivier whose somewhat suspect accent does him no favours at all. An under-rated minor classic.

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Just because it's in black and white, has got a u-boat and Eric Portman in it doesn't make it a great war movie

WiseOldBob from , 23rd December, 2009

It sounds terrific in the description: U-boat crew stranded in Canada, Eric Portman, Laurie Olivier, Powel & Pressburger: can't go wrong. Oh no? The film is done in a series of set-pieces, with our hapless villains confounded by one hopeless bunch of Canadians after another before finally coming up against Leslie Howard who appears to be doing some kind of camp review for the scouting movement. If you want to see a film where this type of story-telling in chapters works, go straght to 'Ice Cold in Alex' but here it's like a documentary advert for Canada. However, because of the blocking each scene lasts only about 15 minutes, which in the case of Olivier's performance is mercifully short, but still about 15 minutes too long. One can only assume that neither Vivienne Leigh nor Joan Plowright (sorry about me spelling) ever saw this film, or they would never have married him.

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Good plot but too much lecturing!

A Customer from Abingdon, 14th August, 2009

I know this was written to make a point (to get the USA to join the war against Nazi Germany) but it makes it a bit too often and without the subtilty one expects from the makers of The Canterbury Tale. So a bit disappointing, especially as the plot and characters could have made this a really gripping story.

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It's just that, propaganda

rpere008 from , 21st February, 2009

I understand that this is a propaganda movie, and it is best not to take it too literally. So I see the point of the U-boat officer character, although I would like to point out that members of the German military were banned from belonging to political parties, even in Nazi Germany. But I don't get why they had to throw in all the Canadian stereotypes as well (the French Canadian trapper with multiple siblings played by Lawrence Olivier comes to mind)? And why cast Lawrence Olivier and then kill him off in the first half hour of the movie? Canada's involvement in the world wars has not received much attention, compared to its neighbor to the South. But what with the sacrifices at Vimy Ridge and Dieppe, Canada deserved better than this movie.

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Thoughtful film.

A Customer from Lydbury North, 15th December, 2008

Not expecting this rather German heavy film with upper class English accents, but the plot was pretty enthralling as they made their way across the border between Canada and America. Olivier appears in a macho French Canadian cameo which thankfully didn't last long before he got his marching orders. Otherwise some good performances, but for a propaganda film there were an awful lot of the enemy in leading roles!

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