The King's Choice - Angriff auf Norwegen

With fine screen writing and heartfelt direction, Norwegian war drama "The King's Choice" (2016) is truly engaging and very well made.

The fifth feature film by director Erik Poppe and the fourth on which he co-operates with screenwriter Harald Rosenløw-Eeg (here assisted by screenwriter Jan Trygve Røyneland), "The King's Choice" boasts a grand performance by Danish actor Jesper Christensen and a beautiful score by Swedish Johan Söderqvist (one of the most important film composers in Scandinavia today).

After so many war films, heroic, impressive, moving, "Kogens nei" is the refreshing refuge. for perspective. for acting, for atmosphere, for the story who you know in a different frame. for a large public, Norway in the WW II is only a detail from blitzkrieg. that film demonstrates other version. not the great one. but one so useful for understand the war, attitudes, answers, insignificant, at the first sigh, details than the story becomes, scene by scene, more and more complex. a film about Norway. simple. precise. admirable. about a form of sacrifice who seems too small. but who change everything. a brilliant film not about the war. but about its people. impecable performances, impressive work. and the feeling to discover a special film. escaping from classic recipes. but being more useful than beautiful. so, real special.

It is from the director of 'A Thousand Times Good Night'. This movie is like the Norwegian version of the Academy Awards winner 'The King's Speech'. Likewise, it was based on the real, that happened around the same timeline of the history, id est, the World War II. Except matching title, it was totally a different narrative. When the Germany was expecting a response to their demand, the Norway cabinet made most of the decisions and turned it down to remain independent country. But from all, a decision that made by the king is what this film was based on and how it changed the Norway's fate was depicted.

This film was sent to the 2017 Oscars, unfortunately it did not advance to the main event. They might have expected recognition similar to the British film. But I think both the films were good in their own way with the kind of story they told us that took place in the backdrop of the most terrible time of the recent human history. So having a similar title name justifies. It is a biopic, but the story was covered from different angles to reveal us what happened on the other side, including one of the young soldiers who fought in that war.

The story begins with the April 1940, while the Nazi army sailing towards Norway and after losing most of the cities to them, the people fled to safer places. That did not spare the Norwegian cabinet members, as well as the king Haakon VII and his family. In those hard times, he kept the nation united by respecting to how the government decided to deal with the situation.

But on one occasion, through a German diplomat with a one-time offer directly from Adolf Hitler leave the king to make the crucial decision for his nation and its people. That's the part of the film to define its title. So everything leads to that moment, how he reacts and what follows decides the Norway's fate to stand on what side of the ongoing war.

❝If I am the last card in the deck, so be it.❞

It's a well made film. Neither too violent nor avoided the war depictions to turn it more drama type. Everything had its share, including those war atmosphere for such budget was impressive. More like it was a running and chasing theme. But in the initial parts, there were too many timelines mentioned about what happened on when. Details like that are really good, though I felt it was too much to take on, especially for a foreign film.

Once the tale enters the mid section, looked all were in order and also got very interesting than before. In a cold country like Norway, in those situations you are like in a multifold trouble. I mean from the common man's perspective. An army is chasing you and harsh winter, surviving that is very challenging.

All the actors were great, but the king steals the show. If this was an American film that had taken place in America, then he would have won the Oscars. The fresh undertaking films on the World War II themes would never go fade away. So this is one of the best in that kind in the recent time. Except the opening, I did not have any trouble following it. Even the 130 minutes looked shortened. But I won't think everybody would feel the same way as I did. Like any WWII films, it is a must see, particularly to learn from the Norway's perspective of the war.

But this was depicted from the early stage of the war. And since it was majorly focused from the king's perspective, being a first king elected by his people, how he had faced it, following his crucial decision leads the way to the film's conclusion. If you are as war film fan, particularly the WWII, the actual best part begins henceforth which I'm hoping for a sequel to focus on. If you are not anticipating like the top WWII films you have seen, it can be picked for a watch. But anyway, I would recommend it.

7/10

It's about the most dramatic days in Norway 20th century history. 8-11 April 1940, the time of the German attack. Norwegian military is unprepared. The king, the government and the parliament leave Oslo.

The Germans want to negotiate after occupying main Norwegian cities. They turn directly to the king, trying to make it his decision to avoid more bloodshed. That's his decision. And there is an answer.

Jesper Christensen is tremendous as king Haakon, making the moral dilemma more complicated than it's described in the script. Much is really filmed theatre here, but you tend to forget it, when Christensen is on the screen. Which he is very much.

I really liked it. I say it's a "niche" movie because I'm American. Were used to seeing films about the US and UK battles of WWII. This is a mostly quiet film, with modest action sequences. Most of it revolves around the intense pressure on King Haakon and his family. You can feel his anguish. The loving but strained relationship with the Crown Prince is depicted well. I recommend this film to anyone with interest in the first year of WWII.