THE FORTY NINTH PARALLEL
UK, 1941, 123 minutes, Black and white.
Eric Portman, Laurence Olivier, Anton Walbrook, Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey, Glynnis Johns, Niall Mac Ginnis, Finlay Currie, Raymond Lovell, John Chandos.
Directed by Michael Powell.
The Forty Ninth Parallel is an excellent war propaganda film. It won an Oscar for Best Story for Emeric Pressburger, who, along with director Michael Powell, was the great influence on English cinema as the team The Archers. They were then to make the controversial Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. They made a number of outstanding films during the '40s including I Know Where I'm Going, Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes.
The film shows Canada during the war, is a variation on the war escape films that were to come in the '50s where Allied escapees from concentration camps were trying to find their way back home. In the film, German sailors from a submarine have to make their way across Canada, hoping to cross the 49th. Parallel into the safety of the United States. The screenplay is episodic and offers several stars the opportunity for interesting character roles, Laurence Olivier as a French- Canadian trapper, Anton Walbrook as the leader of a German commune, Leslie Howard as a gentlemanly writer in the wilds, Raymond Massey as a soldier on a train. Glynnis Johns also appears in an early role. However, the focus of attention is on Eric Portman as the cold and convinced leader of the Nazi soldiers. He is contrasted with Niall MacGinnis? as a sympathetic baker forced to become a soldier.
The film is still interesting in its plotline, is beautifully photographed showing Canada and its range of locations. While the war propaganda is dated, it is nevertheless interesting and persuasive. There is a musical score by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
1. The impact of the film in its time? Later? Acclaim?
2. The work of the Archers, their status in the British film industry? Oscar for story?
3. The focus on Canada: the maps, the border with the United States, the range of landscapes? Introduction, the travel of the group, the leaders' return, black and white photography, visuals and atmosphere? Vaughan Williams’ score?
4. The film as propaganda: story, spirit, characters, the early years of the war, Nazi philosophy and brutality, the war effort? America before its entrance into the war? The perspective of 1941?
5. The situation of the submarine, their personnel, the war coming to Canada, the attack on the ship, its sinking, the confrontation with the crew, the ruthlessness of the submarine Commander? The decision to hide in Hudson Bay? The foraging, the submarine bombed? The Allies and their response? The small group and its having to survive?
6. The small group and the genre of travelling and surviving and the various individuals being killed? The episodes, the group and its ethos, the Commander and his strictness? The Canadian response to the Nazis?
7. The group: ideological, callous, violence and the war? Eric Portman and his strong characterisation of the Commander? Determination, force, his work with each of the men, the taking of the plane and the flight, the pressure on the pilot, adapting to the situations? Being taunted about Nazis and his reaction? The violence on the settlement and the Eskimos and trappers? His speech at the commune? The shooting of Fogel? Caught in the city, the speech, the escape? Despising Scott, the reprisals, the encounter with the soldier on the train and the entanglement, his rigidity with the law, the irony of his being taken back to Canada?
8. The pilot, the flight, the tank without fuel, fear, the staunch attitude after the crash? Fogel and his baking skills, his friendship with Anna, with Peter? His wanting to settle at the commune? The Commander executing him as a deserter? The fright at the city rally? The escape? Scott confronting the Commander and the other man? The fight in the cave? The diminishing of the group?
9. The Canadian forces, the information and the papers about the group in Canada, the English tradition, eleven million against the Nazis? The focus on Canada, the quality of life, freedom and rights - even to complain?
10. The settlement and the welcome, the Eskimos, food? The Factor and his hospitality? Johnny (and Laurence Olivier's impersonation)? Communications with his family? The trappers at Hudson Bay and the far north? The interaction with the group? The Nazis turning on them, the violence, Johnny's death?
11. The escape to the commune, the welcome, the ideology of equality, the German tradition? The story of Anna and the ship sunk, Anna and her welcome, giving them work, looking after them, making the beds etc.? The attraction to Fogel? Peter and his philosophy? Fogel happy? The work at the commune, celebrations? The Commander and his decision to make the speech about Germanic tradition? Heil Hitler? The decision to move, the execution of Fogel as a deserter? The emotional impact of this sequence?
12. Moving to the city, the Indians, the speech, fear, running, the commander escaping?
13. The meeting with Scott on the lake, his friendliness? His books, research, the Indians? His comments on the distant war? The Commander despising him?. The gun, the ridicule, tying Scott up, the spiteful burning of the art and the books and his comment about them being spiteful schoolboys? The confrontation, Scott's bravery, the shooting, his being wounded? The death of the soldier?
14. The Commander's escape, the encounter with the soldier on the train, their talking, the Commander and his serious interpretation, the attack and taking the uniform? The Canadian soldier's speech about freedom? Niagara Falls, using the technicalities about the Customs and the documents to return the Commander to Canada?
15. A good war story? Enjoyable? Portrait of human beings? Quality in its time, now?
