★ 6 / 10
There were a few of these wartime dramas
CinemaSerf
There were a few of these wartime dramas designed to bring attention to the atrocities being carried out by the Nazis on the erstwhile peaceful people of…
There were a few of these wartime dramas designed to bring attention to the atrocities being carried out by the Nazis on the erstwhile peaceful people of Norway. This one finds "Eric" (Paul Muni) flee to Britain where he trains and returns to his homeland determined to wreak revenge on his occupiers and their Quisling allies and to help the British to successfully bomb an airbase being built at altitude that could be used to attack allied territory and shipping. It's all a bit meandering, however. Muni isn't really a very convincing Norwegian nor is Alexander Knox particularly menacing as a captain in the Wehrmacht nor Rod Cameron as the Pastor. Indeed, aside from Sir Cedric Hardwicke as the archetypal British admiral, none of the casting works especially well here - and coupled with some very wordy dialogue, that manages to drag this down a little into melodrama territory. It ends rousingly enough, though, and given it's purpose was largely propagandist - it does what is says on the tin. Watchable, but forgettable fayre.
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★ 6 / 10
Norway's struggle in WWII
jjnxn-1
Its propaganda roots are obvious now but still a well acted war drama about the struggle of Norway against the Nazi machine. Paul Muni is strong in the lead.…
Its propaganda roots are obvious now but still a well acted war drama about the struggle of Norway against the Nazi machine. Paul Muni is strong in the lead. Famed for parts where he was under heavy makeup like Emile Zola and Louis Pasteur those performances viewed today are heavy and hammy whereas in plain clothes such as here and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang he is far more naturalistic. A cast of fine character actors all add texture to the film. Lillian Gish's part is small and mostly without dialogue but of course she could convey more with a look than most actresses with a telephone book worth of words.
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★ 7 / 10
good propaganda film
blanche-2
"Commandos Strike at Dawn," from 1942, is another propaganda that demonstrates the spirit of the Norwegians and their commitment to resistance. This one is…
"Commandos Strike at Dawn," from 1942, is another propaganda that demonstrates the spirit of the Norwegians and their commitment to resistance. This one is directed by John Farrow, with a screenplay by a man whose name would become synonymous with long novels, Irwin Shaw, and stars Paul Muni, Anna Lee, Lillian Gish, Cedric Hardwicke, Alexander Knox, George MacCready, Ann Carter, Rosemary DeCamp, and Ray Collins.
Based on a story by C.S. Forester, "Commandos Strike at Dawn" tells the story of more victims of Quisling, citizens of a small town that is taken over by the Nazis. After Eric Toresen (Muni) sees a friend murdered and another one (Collins) severely beaten, he gets some of the townspeople to form a resistance group. When he realizes that the Germans are preparing for a huge air strike against England, he is determined to get the information to the right people in England and join the fight.
Very good film, if a little slow in spots. Muni gives an excellent performance as the bold Toreson, and Ray Collins, Lt. Tragg of Perry Mason, is cast against type as one who vocally opposes the Nazis, and he is very good. This was probably his favorite role, as it's so different from his standard tough cop or crooked politician role. Lillian Gish doesn't have much to do, sadly, as his wife. Neither does Anna Lee, as the daughter of a British military man (Hardwicke) who falls for Muni.
Someone commenting here said that this film, and probably by inference, Edge of Darkness, exaggerates the role of the underground in Europe, that most Europeans were passive during the war, afraid of reprisal. That may have been true in some areas - Germany most definitely - but that was not true in France and Norway, both of which had formidable resistance movements. Some people don't like bullies.
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6.6/10
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