The Twentieth Century
Like Monty Python crossed with low-budget sci-fi and German Expressionism, this absurd take on Canadian history follows a rising politician obsessed with power and women's shoes.
20/21 Hop FilmRent the Film
When you rent the film, you will have through Wed, Feb 24 to watch it.
$8 public; $5 Dartmouth employees; Free for Hop Members & Dartmouth students. Become a member today >
Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. At the Dominion School of Nationhood, King competes with other aspiring public servants to be the PM candidate in a hilariously absurd examination of aptitudes and bodily functions that would be prime Python material. There's ribbon cutting, leg wrestling, waiting your turn, identifying trees by sniffing their stumps, urinating signatures, endurance tickling, butter churning and, more gruesomely, baby seal clubbing.
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. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. Culminating in an epic battle between good and evil, King learns that disappointment may be the defining characteristic of the twentieth century!
Following in the footsteps of Terry Gilliam and Guy Maddin, writer/director Matthew Rankin's combination of supreme creativity, jaw-dropping audacity and amusing tongue-in-cheek dialogue took the Toronto Film Festival by storm in 2019. Now that the world has been turned upside-down by the pandemic, there could not be a better time for the release of this endlessly inventive satire. D: Matthew Rankin, Canada, 2019, 1h30m
When & how can I watch the film?
All Hop films are now presented virtually and on demand through Eventive. Once you rent the film, you will have until the last date listed below to watch it.
See our step-by-step instructions and FAQ for more information.
“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.”
Variety
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