Northern Pursuit (1943)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Good concept, poorly executed.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

The acting in this movie is really good.

This is not a great movie, not Robin Hood or The Sea Hawk. But neither is it the bad movie some of the previous reviewers suggest.I found it very suspenseful.If you try viewing it as the original, intended audience did back in 1943, when the U.S. was not winning the war in Europe and there were fears of German infiltration everywhere, you can imagine how relevant this story would have been to audiences.Tension is maintained for much of the movie by keeping us in suspense regarding Flynn's character's allegiances. No, of course we can't believe he's really a Nazi, but for the first half of the movie, it certainly seems as if he might be.I was surprised, and thrown off guard, by the number of "good guys" who got killed in this movie. That made it seem more real to me.The last scene is pure Hollywood, and pure corn. But up until then, there is a lot to admire and enjoy in this movie.

Northern Pursuit (1943)A solid, serious film that shouts its political message too loudly, but is so unusual, and potentially scary it remains interesting for anyone into WWII films. Truly fascinating is the setting—the north woods of Canada in winter—and the involvement of Native Americans, who side with the Nazis for the simple reason that that means siding against Canada. (This is addressed in some brutal killings partway through.) The key plot idea is that a group of expert Nazis might actually sneak into remote areas of the country to perform acts of sabotage.The movie audience here is mostly in the United States, to be sure (Canada's population is so small it is always a secondary concern from the studio's point of view). And the leading actor, Errol Flynn, takes on the larger issues well. That is: devotion to good, personal sacrifice to defeat the enemy, and providing an example of moral uncertainty resolving itself as the circumstances become clear. The issues he faces (in Canada) applied to the U.S. equally.Canada, to be sure, entered the war officially with Great Britain in 1939. But by 1943 the U.S. was also officially fighting. Cooperation between the two neighbors was a given, overall, but they had different national priorities to smooth out. Flynn was so famous at the time, despite (or because of) some personal scandal, he carried the movie. But it's cobbled together stuff, quasi-propaganda. None of it was shot in Canada, though it's convincing enough. The romance is really almost superfluous, but it gives of course the audience that extra layer to swoon about, briefly. Most viewers will find a lot of this formulaic and rough sledding, but it isn't terrible, and the themes have lasting power.

Northern PursuitThe reason Canadians didn't fight the Japanese during WWII was because they had them all locked in internment camps.And while Japanese-Canadians were never a threat, the axis members in this action movie were.RCMP Corporal Wagner (Errol Flynn) and his partner (John Ridgely) capture a Nazis Colonel (Helmut Dantine).On discovering Cpl. Wagner is of German ancestry, Herr Colonel asks him to join him. Later, when the Colonel escapes, Cpl. Wagner does.Together, with Native guides, they recover a German bomber that had been stashed in northern Manitoba before the war.Now, the only person who can stop Jerry from air-bombarding Canadian waterways is the two-timing Mountie, who's been working undercover.Using Idaho's snowcapped mountains to represent the prairie terrain of the Keystone Province, Northern Pursuit is a geographical joke. Fortunately, its spy-thriller theatrics are entertaining.Besides, how can the world's top two beer consuming countries not get along?Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.com

Raoul Walsh, the director of "Northern Pursuit", was a man with impressive credentials during his days in Hollywood. Unfortunately, this film, which kept reminding this viewer of Michael Powell's "49th Parallel", has its moments and will reward the viewer that sticks with it, in some ways.The plot was typical of the films turned by the big studios during the days of WWII. Although the propaganda in "Northern Pursuit" doesn't strike the viewer as too obvious, it's there all along. The idea of a Royal Mountie, in this case, the dashing Errol Flynn, going after the bad guys have all the elements for a good adventure.The screen play is ultimately the downfall of the film, although there are hints of greatness, especially on the last part of the film which involves a daring attempt from the head Nazi infiltrator to fly an aircraft with a bomb on board. The locations appear to be real, but we can see the scenes shot in the studio.Errol Flynn does his job well. Helmut Dantine, playing Keller, the Nazi bad guy, is even better. Gene Lockhart has a pivotal role in the film. Julie Bishop is Errol Flynn's love interest, although there's no obvious chemistry between them.Raoul Walsh's fans will probably enjoy this film a lot more than the casual viewer.