Description:
At once a compelling piece of anti-isolationist propaganda and a quick-witted wartime thriller, 49th Parallel is a classic early work from the inimitable British filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. When a Nazi U-boat crew headed by the ruthless Eric Portman is stranded in Canada during the thick of World War II, the men evade capture by hiding out in a series of rural communities before trying to cross the border into the United States. Both soul-stirring and delightfully entertaining, 49th Parallel features a colorful cavalcade of characters played by larger-than-life actors Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook and Leslie Howard.
Special Features:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder
- 1943 Powell/Pressburger short, The Volunteer, starring Ralph Richardson
- BBC Powell/Pressburger documentary, "A Pretty British Affair"
- Excerpts from Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography
- Original theatrical trailer
- New essay by film scholar Charles Barr