PRICE*: $10 ($8 members) | VIEWING WINDOW: 3 days
WATCH ON: Computer, tablet, smartphone, Chromecast, AirPlay (or use a HDMI cable to connect your computer or tablet with your TV)
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Stylistically indebted to early cinema via its alchemic adoption of antiquated analog techniques that recall the work of Guy Maddin, this macabre Canadian delight reimagines the formative years of former Canadian Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King as a series of abject humiliations.
Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the prime minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his imperious Mother, the hawkish fantasies of a war-mongering Governor-General, and the utopian idealism of a Québécois mystic before facing one, final test of leadership. Culminating in an epic battle between good and evil, King learns that disappointment may be the defining characteristic of the 20th century.
“...Both satiric and scurrilous; the more familiar one is with Canadian history, the funnier it is. But even without prior knowledge of our neighbor to the north, it can be enjoyed for its combination of supreme creativity, jaw-dropping audacity and amusing tongue-in-cheek dialogue. ” —Alissa Simon, Variety
“Part German Expressionist throwback, part tripped-out midnight movie acid trip…Rankin’s film has drawn comparisons to the work of fellow Canadian director Guy Maddin, as well as Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and even John Waters in its grotesque look at Canadian politics and identity. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY unfolds in the style of 1940s melodramas, but blends that with tinges of wartime propaganda films, and plenty more insanity.” —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire
“…Beguiling feature debut…Proudly and perversely Canadian.” —Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter
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