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 The Volunteer, a 1943 Powell and Pressburger war-effort short starring Ralph Richardson 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 New cover by Eric Skillman
