Los comandos

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.

With the action coming in the last 20 minutes this isn't just a film about commandos. It is also a film about the Norwegians and how they, without commandos or training, but rather through gumption and nous, became a thorn in the side of the German occupation.

The simple plot of how a mild mannered Norwegian becomes a patriot is well told and they are many nice touches showing the Norwegian life at the time.

All in all a good war film, and one that while typical of the period has a heart and spirit about it that make it good viewing.

If it comes around and you like WWII films then catch it, it's well worth the time.

Reading the title, I'll bet you're waiting for a rip-roaring war picture, with fight scenes, explosions and guns blazing. But you would very mistaken, since this is a placid character study with a great deal of dialogue. There is a battle scene towards the end of the picture, but Director John Farrow was sorely in need of a competent second unit director. The battle has an artificial look to it and the explosions are small in scale. In one scene an allied soldier throws a Nazi to the ground, and plainly stabs the ground next to him, lending an amateurish quality to a heretofore passable film.

The story itself is good and depicts the Nazi onslaught into Norway, in particular a small hamlet in a spot of strategic interest to the Nazis. The acting is top shelf, with Paul Muni, Anna Lee, Cedric Hardwicke and Robert Coote in prominent roles. There are a few instances of suspense and tension but none are sustained. It's a good movie - but not if you're looking for a conventional war picture.

****** 6 of 10

Columbia delivered an interesting war propaganda film during WWII and COMMANDOS STRIKE AT DAWN, with Canada substituting for the Norwegian coastline. Although a little overlong and slowly paced at the start, it builds interest about midway and then never lets up being an absorbing war melodrama.

PAUL MUNI is a Norwegian fisherman who flees Norway after a witnessing a cold-blooded killing and then returns from Britain to take on the Nazis as a resistance fighter. The romantic angle has him in love with the Admiral's daughter, ANNA LEE.

The story opens in the blissful peacefulness of a Norwegian village, circa 1939 where Muni and Lee are enjoying the pleasantries of a wedding party and it soon becomes apparent that the scriptwriter Irwin Shaw spends too much time setting up the growing romance between Muni and Lee under John Farrow's leisurely direction. One can only hope that the pace of the story will quicken once the drums of war start beating and the Germans have started their invasion of surrounding countries.

Muni is understandably upset when he witnesses the murder of a young fisherman and the aftermath of a brutal beating by one of the townsmen (RAY COLLINS), and when he sees what the German invaders (led by Alexander KNOX) are doing to his village and that his young daughter (ANN CARTER) is being taught at school to hate non-Germans. On the debit side, LILLIAN GISH, as Collins' wife, has little to do but look worried. Stalwart ROD CAMERON is improbably cast as a Lutheran pastor who has to stand by while a young man is shot by a firing squad.

It takes a good forty minutes into the story before the resistance tactics start to kick in and Muni begins his vengeful acts against the Nazis. A scene involving Muni hiding in a well with his small daughter while the Nazis search his home is especially well handled. Muni's escape to England is the highlight of the story, a suspenseful scene involving one of the six men who is willing to betray them to the Nazis but whose plan has to be foiled by Muni's quick thinking action.

In England, Muni renews his relationship with the Admiral's daughter and the story moves toward a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion. All the performances are first rate, and after a slow start, the picture builds suspense, especially throughout the last half of the film dealing with the escape from Norway. The final skirmish at the airfield with the British taking the Nazis by surprise is as well staged as any action sequence in war movies of this era.

Not the best resistance story I've ever seen, but it's worthwhile for some very moving scenes and Muni's fine, understated performance as the determined Norwegian leader.

There is a problem with this film in that it does not illustrate the depth of Norwegian resistance to the Nazi occupation of Norway. Of course, a short movie can only do so much, and in 1942 all nations, Allied and Axis alike were producing films at a rapid rate. It is even likely that little was known of the Norwegian underground and what was known certainly would not be put into a feature movie for all the world to see. However, the audience must not be left with the impression that the British attacks were the salvation of Norway. During the war some did occur, and some were helpful. It must be remembered that Norway is some distance from England, that the British had battles around the world to contend with, and that the North Sea and its horrid weather, combined with a demand on warships, forced Norway to deal with the occupiers on a more personal basis. Sabotage of materials sent to Germany was normal. Work slowdowns and "accidents" disrupted production. At places like Bergen, the underground was active and effective. In fact, a "mysterious" explosion of an Axis ammunition ship took place in Bergen harbor (said to be the second largest explosion in maritime history), supposedly as the ship was leaving for Narvik. Also, helpful was the fact that German soldiers generally disliked Norwegian postings. The German attack on Oslo was not without it losses. A German battleship (some say it was a large battle cruiser) on its first voyage was sunk in Oslo Fjord with all hands lost (except those saved by the Norweigans who could get to them in time in the freezing water.) Also lost were about 5000 German Troops who were housed below decks. Ironically, the battleship was battered by four large Austrian cannon that were purchased by Norway from Germany after World War One. The Nazis appropriated food, blankets and warm clothing for their forces on the Russian front. The Norweigans contaminated the sardines that were sent with castor oil, thereby making the cold Russian winters ever more unpleasant. Yes, the British helped some, to their credit, but clever Norwegian citizens did much more than blow up a few trains.