49th Parallel - Criterion Collection

The Criterion Collection, A Continuing Series of Important Classic and Contemporary Films

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.