Three by Powell and Pressburger

Three of Powell and Pressburger's World War II movies are especially dear to me because of their exploration of the Anglo-American Entente. The first, 49th Parallel (1942), is a very open appeal by the British to Americans to come in on the Allied side against the Axis. One of the most interesting scenes is set in a German Mennonite community in Canada. It underscores that the community of interest the British are appealing to is a community of values, not ethnicity.



The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1945), is the most British of the three. It both is sympathetic to Germans, led astray by Prussian and then Nazi militarism, but also seems to warn against loss of honor by adopting an enemy's values in defense of one's own values.





A Canterbury Tale (1949) suggests commonality of values between the British and American's.



All are good watches with fine character actors.