A World War Two film which depicts a harrowing true story during the conflict, has been hailed as ‘thrilling’ and ‘deserving all the love’ by fans.
Narvik is a 2022 Norwegian historical war film that delves into the Battle of Narvik in 1940, shedding light on both the military conflict and the personal story of a soldier and his family during the occupation.
Helmed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg and featuring Kristine Hartgen and Carl Martin Eggesbø, the film hit Netflix in January 2023 and paints a vivid picture of the struggles faced by ordinary Norwegians and the country’s role in Hitler’s first defeat of the war. With many films focusing on British or US soldiers, this film has been lauded for offering a fresh perspective on the horrors of the war.
The capture of Narvik marked Hitler’s first significant land defeat in the war.
Running for 108 minutes, the film traces the fictional tale of soldier Gunnar Tofte and his wife Ingrid, a translator compelled to make tough decisions under German occupation. The film has received high praise for its portrayal of the dual nature of war, juxtaposing large scale military clashes with the personal stories of civilians grappling with the harsh realities of war and occupation, reports the Mirror.
While it’s not considered an easy watch, it boasts an impressive 100 percent score on film ratings website Rotten Tomatoes, and the glowing reviews speak volumes.
One fan wrote: “Narvik is a thrilling, crowd-pleasing war picture. It deserves all the love that All Quiet on the Western Front has gotten and then some.”
Another added: “Difficult to fault. There should be so many more ww2 movies from the perspective of other countries.
“Great movie and I don’t even speak Dutch. Yes the sub titles were on but after a certain point I didn’t need them I was so into the movie, the movie took over,” said a third.
A four-star review noted: “Pretty good and an interesting look at a small part of the war from a Norwegian perspective.”
Another echoed similar sentiments, writing: “A very good movie capturing the atmopshere in Norway leading to the Germans first defeat.”
However, not everyone was impressed, with some viewers awarding it just one star. One viewer said: “Not that much of a work as other masterpieces.”
Another added: “Boring and bad. Usual Netflix movie.”
While the characters in the film are fictional, the history behind the battles is true. Narvik, which had a population of just 10,000, was initially captured with relative ease by German forces on 9th April 1940.
This sparked a two-month struggle from Allied forces to reclaim the town, with fighting persisting until an Allied victory on 28th May, marking the first significant land loss for the Nazis during the conflict.
Regrettably, the triumph was short-lived. The retreat of British and French forces following the Nazi invasion of France enabled the Germans to recapture the town on 8th June, with surviving civilians evacuated by local fishing boats before Narvik was heavily bombed.
The Battle of Narvik still stands as the largest ever fought on Norwegian soil. A Narvik War Museum was inaugurated in 1964, and a number of shipwrecks remain visible in the surrounding waters, attracting a large number of visitors.
