Cheap Movie Tuesday: The Twentieth Century (2019)

One of the privileges of being a Canadian citizen by birth is that you are not required to know anything about your country’s history.

By contrast, if you are attempting to obtain citizenship in the world’s second largest country, you must take the 20-question Canadian citizenship test1.

I was curious how I’d do on that test, so I found a sample on the Canadian government’s website, gave it a try and got 70%

Had I been applying for citizenship, that would have been a failing grade.

And if the test hadn’t been multiple choice, I probably would’ve scored lower.

I’ll admit, my knowledge of Canadian history could be better, but I found a lot of the questions odd.

Take this question for example:

“How old is the tradition of ordered liberty that Canada contains?”

A) 1000 years

B) 1700 years,

C) 800 years,

D) 900 years.

I honestly had no idea how any Canadian traditions could predate the 19th century, but I guessed 800 years, because that was the smallest number.

And I got this response: “Correct. Canada contains an 800-years-old tradition of ordered liberty, which dates back to the signing of Magna Carta in 1215 in England (also known as the Great Charter of Freedoms).”

Wow.

Maybe ignorance is bliss.

A large part of said bliss is not knowing your own history.

Take William Lyon Mackenzie King, for example.

How much do you know about him?

King is famous for being Canada’s longest serving Prime Minister (21 years!) and notorious for attending seances to seek counsel from dead relatives and friends, notably Pat, his favorite Irish terrier.

King is notorious for a great deal more that I won’t get into here. Let’s just say the more you learn, the worse it gets.

What I will get into is, The Twentieth Century, the feature debut of, Matthew Rankin.

Mackenzie King is the protagonist, in this story about Canadian politics in the early 1900s.

It isn’t a typical historical film.

Many of the performers are in drag and the art direction seems inspired by German Expressionism and French Claymation like Jeremy the Bear.

This eclectic approach prepares you for a film that frequently strays from the actual details of history.

Initially very funny, the film eventually transcends comedy and becomes surrealism that feels like a cross between the Littlest Hobo and Yellow Submarine

The Plot: Young William Lyon Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) is an aspiring politician hampered by low self esteem and dreadful curtain hair.

Fortunately for him, his bedridden mother (Louis Negin) sees things differently. She has prophetic visions of her son marrying a beautiful upper-class woman who will help him ascend to the prime minister’s chair.

King thinks little of this until he meets the stunningly beautiful, Ruby Elliot (Catherine St-Laurent), daughter of Canada’s draconian Governor General, Lord Muto (Seán Cullen).

Although Elliot is both cordial and a formidable wit, she plainly tells King that he is beneath her.

This rejection emboldens the young man to change Elliot’s mind by becoming prime minister.

But that’s no easy task.

To be the ruler of Canada, King must win baby seal clubbing competitions and demonstrate exquisite calligraphy via urinating his name into a snow bank.

Despite herculean efforts, King is bested in both categories by a strapping young man named Henry Albert Harper (Mikhaïl Ahooja) who is soon a contender both to ruling Canada and becoming Elliot’s fiancée.

But a chance at redemption comes when the Boer War is declared and King has the opportunity to inspire Canadians to help Britain colonize South Africa and quell a pacifist uprising in Quebec.

Canadian history obviously lacks the geopolitical significance of more powerful nations such as the USA.

Despite that, you can’t help but compare The Twentieth Century to recent attempts to reimagine American history such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or the Apple TV series, For All Mankind.

What makes it different, is that the philosophy behind the rewrites.

The Twentieth Century isn’t asking us to imagine a world where things turned out better.

It’s acknowledging how bizarrely irrelevant history can be.

Everyone watching this will be able to tell that it is not the actual story of William Lyon Mackenzie King, but most will have no idea what the actual story was. He might as well have signed the Magna Carta.

But those who do know the history will be amused by the decision to completely omit Pat the Irish terrier.

And those who know lots about the history of the actual twentieth century will be amused by the decision to completely omit the United States of America.

The Tea: Drink some traditional Canadian tea, like salty, buttery Po Cha Cha Süma

The Snack: Simple Canadian food like fresh pineapple, Hákarl or hamburgers garnished with beet root.