- Director: Lewis Milestone
- AMG Rating:
- Genre: War
- Movie Type: Resistance Film, War Drama
- Themes: Life Under Occupation
- Main Cast: Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson, Nancy Coleman, Tom Fadden, Helmut Dantine
- Release Year: 1943
- Country: US
- Run Time: 120 minutes
- MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
The Norwegian resistance to the Nazi occupation of their country inspired several wartime films from Hollywood, including this Warner Bros. production, filmed in and around Monterey, California. In October 1942, a German observation airplane discovers a seaside village named Trollness where the Norwegian flag is flying over the town square. A ground patrol discovers an empty town littered with corpses, including a number of Nazi officials. The story of the massacre is told in flashback. Errol Flynn plays Gunnar Brogge, a fisherman engaged to Karen Stensgard (Ann Sheridan), whose father, Martin (alter Huston), is the village physician. Gunnar and Karen are working to undermine the Nazis. The town is divided, with the minister leading a contingent which believes that violence, even against the sadistic Germans, is morally wrong. Karen is concerned about the imminent arrival of her brother, who is known to be friendly to the German occupiers; she fears he may learn of plans by the British to deliver a supply of guns to the resistance. The Nazi commandant, Captain Konig (Helmut Dantine), keeps up the pressure to learn of any opposition to his administration, eventually deciding to execute a selected number of the villagers to force someone to reveal the extent of the resistance's schemes. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie GuideReview
One of the great chapters of World War II history is the amazing and persistent resistance put up by the Norwegians against their Nazi occupiers. Sadly, few Hollywood films since the war have been made from these dramatic stories, though there were a spate of wartime releases: The Commandos Have Landed (also known as They Raid by Night), First Comes Courage, Commandos Strike at Dawn, and perhaps the best of the lot, Edge of Darkness. Edge benefits from a solid pedigree: veteran director Lewis Milestone, up-and-coming screenwriter Robert Rossen, and a first-rate cast of Warner Bros. players, none of them Norwegian, but all quite convincing nonetheless. The film is best at showing how not every citizen of Norway believed that the Nazis' iron fist could or even should be countered with sabotage. In a small village, this means that the plans of the freedom fighters have to be closely guarded, with even families split along either side of the debate. Shooting on locations on the California coast that resemble Norway adds a level of authenticity. And the action sequences are well staged, particularly a siege of a mountain cabin. If the heroics at the conclusion feel a bit contrived, it's understandable, given that the film was released while the battle in Norway was still raging.~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
Cast
- Errol Flynn - Gunnar Brogge
- Ann Sheridan - Karen Stensgard
- Walter Huston - Dr. Martin Stensgard
- Judith Anderson - Gerd Blarnesen
- Nancy Coleman - Katja
- Tom Fadden - Hammer
- Helmut Dantine - Capt. Koenig
