Contraband (Blackout). 1940. Directed by Michael Powell

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Contraband (Blackout). 1940. Great Britain. Directed by Michael Powell. Courtesy Park Circus/ITV Studios

Contraband (Blackout). 1940. Great Britain. Directed by Michael Powell. Screenplay by Emeric Pressburger. With Conrad Veidt, Valerie Hobson. 35mm courtesy BFI. 92 min.

“A playful espionage thriller in the Hitchcockian vein, Powell and Pressburger’s provocative second collaboration captures the uneasy atmosphere of a wartime London plunged into darkness by the blackouts, all delivered with a noir-ish, expressionist stylishness. Conrad Veidt plays a Danish merchant captain who is drawn into efforts to expose a Soho-based Nazi spy ring, his chemistry with costar Valerie Hobson crackling with romantic charge. Screening in a pristine new 35mm print created by the BFI National Archive” (BFI).

This film accompanies Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell and Pressburger.

Past events

Sat, Jul 20, 2024, 1:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Mon, Jun 24, 2024, 4:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1

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