49th Parallel (UK)

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Review of 49th Parallel
added by
Michael Tsang

Filmed from the point of view of a group of German soldiers
Certificate: 12
Running Time: 116 mins
Retail Price: £9.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
49th Parallel is a powerful and important piece of World War 2 propaganda, which controversially was filmed from the point of view of a group of German soldiers. Asked to make a flag waver by the Ministry of Information, the brilliantly gifted film-making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger elected to set the action in Canada. The film features a stellar cast, who all waived their fees in the interests of the war.
A Nazi U-boat is sunk by the Canadian Air Force and all the crew are lost except six men who had been sent ashore before the attack. They stumble across an Eskimo village where Scott, Peter and his Eskimo servant, Martin live. Also present is a French trapper, Johnnie (played by Laurence Olivier), who panics when held at gunpoint and is shot by one of the Nazis. After this the Allies send an S.O.S. plane, and it is the intention of the Nazis to hijack it and fly to neutral America. When the plane arrives, there is a scuffle but they manage to take off. Will they be caught before they kill again?

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