Before you ask, no, this is not some sort of whacked-out uber-sequel to The 39 Steps. Maybe it's a homage to The Wizard of Oz? They certainly meet lots of wholesome people on the way. Wouldn't you know it, but aren't those Canadians just the kindest folks?
All right, this is propaganda. Given that I knew this, I was a little surprised that the Germans weren't all made out to be thugs and oiks or devious ideologues. Even then, it seemed that the dogmatic nazi was to be pitied as much as feared.
Along the way I learned the following:
- Germans are bad at Chess but insist on playing even if it is detrimental to their safety
- In 1941, The 49th Parallel was the longest unpatrolled border in the world
- If you're after a Picasso in Canada, just ask at the nearest TeePee; you just never know
In summary, paper-thin caricatures were avoided, but this was balanced against repeated reminders of who these people really were. The message to America was clearly: "They may be humans, but they are still Nazis"