Contraband 1940 Ages 15+
When
6.00 pm, Wed 20 Mar 2024 (92 mins)Where
Gallery of Modern Art & Cinema A
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
About
A splendid continuation of the chemistry between Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson from The Spy in Black 1939, Powell and Pressburger’s second collaboration cleverly exploits the tense wartime atmosphere in Britain, using blackouts and border controls to backdrop a lighthearted adventure-thriller. Veidt’s Danish ship captain shadows Hobson’s mysterious passenger, who steals his landing pass to go ashore for her secret mission in London, and both become entangled in a whirlpool of intrigue. Spreading its tentacles through everything from an exotic Danish-run restaurant to neighbouring haute nightclubs and Langian spy-craft bases, the adventure crackles with the duo’s wry continental touch. Veidt’s severe and slightly compulsive temperament matches to marvelous effect with Hobson’s casual demeanour in this delightful mix of thrills and romance.
Contraband will screen from an imported 35mm print.
Ages 15+
Production Credits
- Director: Michael Powell
- Script: Emeric Pressburger
- Based on: a scenario by Michael Powell and Brock Williams
- Cinematographer: Freddie Young
- Editor: John Seabourne
- Cast: Conrad Veidt, Hay Petrie, Valerie Hobson
- Print Source: British Film Institute, London
- Rights: Park Circus
- Year: 1940
- Runtime: 92 minutes
- Country: United Kingdom
- Language: English
- Colour: Black & White
- Shooting Format: 35mm
- Screening Format: 35mm