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 still-neutral United States. Both soul-stirring and delightfully entertaining, 49th Parallel features a colorful cast of characters played by larger-than-life actors Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook, and Leslie Howard.
SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary by film and music historian Bruce Eder
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The Volunteer, a 1943 Powell and Pressburger war-effort short starring Ralph Richardson
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A Pretty British Affair, a BBC documentary on the careers of Powell and Pressburger, which considers their WWII-era collaborations and features rare footage of the filmmakers together
- Excerpts from Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography
- Original theatrical trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: A new essay by film scholar Charles Barr and an excerpt from Powell's 1941 premiere speech
