‘Thrilling’ little-known war film ‘deserves all the love’ on Netflix now | Films | Entertainment

A World War Two film depicting a harrowing true story from the conflict has been praised as ‘thrilling’ and ‘deserving all the love’ by viewers.

Narvik is a 2022 Norwegian historical war film that explores the Battle of Narvik in 1940, illuminating both the military engagement and the personal journey of a soldier and his family during the occupation.

Directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg and starring Kristine Hartgen and Carl Martin Eggesbø, the film arrived on Netflix in January 2023 and presents a powerful portrayal of the challenges endured by ordinary Norwegians and the nation’s part in Hitler’s first defeat of the war.

With many films concentrating on British or US soldiers, this production has been celebrated for providing a different viewpoint on the atrocities of the war.

The seizure of Narvik represented Hitler’s first major land defeat in the war.

Spanning 108 minutes, the film follows the fictional account of soldier Gunnar Tofte and his wife Ingrid, a translator forced to make difficult choices under German occupation.

The film has garnered considerable acclaim for its depiction of the dual nature of war, contrasting large-scale military battles with the personal experiences of civilians confronting the brutal realities of war and occupation.

Whilst it’s not regarded as light viewing, the film holds an exceptional 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the praise speaking for itself.

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.”

That said, not everyone was won over, with some critics awarding it merely one star. One viewer said: “Not that much of a work as other masterpieces.”

Another added: “Boring and bad. Usual Netflix movie.”

Whilst the characters depicted are fictitious, the historical battles portrayed are genuine. Narvik, home to merely 10,000 residents, was initially seized with surprising ease by German troops on 9 April 1940.

This triggered a two-month battle by Allied forces to retake the town, with combat continuing until an Allied triumph on 28th May, representing the first major territorial defeat for the Nazis during the war.

Unfortunately, the victory proved fleeting. The withdrawal of British and French troops following the Nazi invasion of France allowed the Germans to seize the town again on June 8, with surviving residents evacuated by local fishing vessels before Narvik suffered extensive bombing.

The Battle of Narvik remains the largest ever waged on Norwegian territory.

A Narvik War Museum opened its doors in 1964, and several shipwrecks remain visible in the surrounding waters, drawing substantial numbers of visitors.

Narvik is streaming on Netflix now.

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