At the beginning of the Second World War Norway was officially neutral, a position that was respected by the Germans; but the Swedish iron ore that passed through its Narvik port and constituted the bulk of German weaponry was sought to be sabotaged by the British which soon compromised Norway’s neutrality. The Germans invaded Narvik and Norwegian soldiers were called upon to defend their country. The two-month war in 1940 led to the first defeat of Hitler, albeit for a brief period – but is considered a major event.
Set against the war is the love story of a young married couple; the husband is drafted and goes to war while the wife stays back with their young son and her father-in-law, working at a premium hotel which is soon occupied by the Germans. Her knowledge of German causes her to work as their interpreter but she volunteers to pass on vital information to British conspirators in hiding, waiting to strike…
Amongst the other highlights of this sumptuously mounted film is the performance of Kristine Hartgen as the beleaguered wife, risking her life for the sake of her family and country. Look up NARVIK (2022, Norway) by Erik Skjoldbjaerg on NETFLIX. Good for a weekend viewing.
Ranjan Das is a Mumbai based filmmaker & faculty