La travesía

I Just finished a fabulous film, just what I was looking for. A Norwegian film: Flukten Over Grensen (The Crossing 2020) about three Norwegian children who try and help two Norwegian Jewish children escape across the border to Sweden. I loved it, just what I needed was a lot of childlike sweetness in the face of brutality and terror. If I had to choose between rewatching Schindler's List, and this film, I would choose this one.

I would also like to draw attention to the perfect performance by the unknown child actress who played Sarah, Bianca Ghilardi-Hellste and Greda played by Anna Sofie Skarholt. It has been a very long time since I have seen such sweetness in a relationship on film.

Note that the terror and brutality are not graphic, there are no massacres, no machine-gunning. But the children know what awaits them if they make an error, and as real life children do, they make plenty of them.

American films have got to be pretty bad. I haven't cheered one in months. They seem cold and most often depend on violence and other dystopian action. A rare find, I cheered this movie.

I don't usually go for movies like this, but the convincing young cast are more than capable of carrying the story, where 4 children embark on a treacherous journey to reach Sweden and escape the Nazis.

There's enough momentum and intriguing pieces to keep me interested and the more I got to know them, I wanted to find out if things would turn out well, which of course it does, being a tale that is made for young audiences and provides a warmth and assuredness, despite the bleak, snow laden landscape. It actually took me back to a novel, Master of the Grove, by Victor Kelleher, with its vivid imagery of an ice packed wilderness and isolation. As with that story, The Crossing includes sinister and helpful characters that they encounter along the way and there is always the feeling of uncertainty and danger, albeit given in a light manner despite their predicaments.

I would recommend this to children of all ages because of its generous display of comeraderie, compassion and bravery. And not a single mobile phone in sight! Yes!

December 1942 Norway. After their parents are arrested for possibly hiding Jews, the children find two children hiding in the basement. 10-year-old Greta insists on helping them get to safety in Sweden, whereas her older brother Otto, a proto-Nazi, only goes along to protect her. Most of the ensuing action involves the four (at one point five) children, with different adults being either helpful or dangerous.

This is a good children's adventure, where there are real consequence. The scenery is nice, and the children play their parts reasonably well. There are a couple of plot points I am not too keen on, which is why only gave it a rating of 7.

Nice film on the dark side of Norway during the second world war, in which we follow 4 children trying to reach Sweden and escape the Nazis. Despite the harsh subject, the film remains light.

Norway continues to ace the war films in all facets. Nothing over the top in this film. Well worth watching for all ages. Along with most of Europe they almost always deliver when creating films in this genre and pretty well in all genres to speak of. Great casting as far as choosing characters who aren't products from baby pageants.