9. april

As other reviewers have said here, this movie deserves more than a 6+ rating.

As a war movie, it is fantastic in its depiction of the events in one of the shortest invasions in WW2. Good acting and generally good attention to details (equipment, uniforms, tactics, etc.), in addition to a taut, gripping narrative makes it an engaging historical drama.

The strengths of the movie lie in part on its focus on just one small unit and a couple of related engagements over a period of a few hours, instead of trying to tell a wider story that would have distracted and detracted from the experience.

If there is a weakness, it is that there was very little time for the audience to really get to care about the main characters. Perhaps just a few minutes spent on their backgrounds would have been worthwhile.

I would like to highlight the last scene at the end (NO SPOILER). For those who are familiar with the history of WW2, it brings on goosebumps knowing what is about to happen to the Jews in Europe. Fortunately, most of the Jewish population in Denmark were saved, thanks in large part to the Danish resistance and the Swedish government.

If you are looking for a bloody war movie, this is not it. But if you are looking for a brief glimpse into how men react when faced with impossible odds, then April 9th will not disappoint.

An accurate account of some of the skirmishes taking place as German forces crossed into Denmark on 9. April 1940. A sad story about a heavily outnumbered and out-gunned platoon, let down by their politicians and struggling with primitive means to delay the advance of the German army.

The movie successfully conveys the unreal feeling of these soldiers being plummeted into war for unknown reasons and with no proper chance to prepare a defense. Another story about the useless loss of young lives for no good reason. Denmark surrendered after only a few hours, being threatened by German bombers and in no position to give serious resistance. But the few who did fight did so against the worst possible odds, and deserve recognition.

There are many things to like about this film but foremost among them for me is the insight into the experience of the invaded. Here in the U.S., we never faced any real threat of invasion during the second world war. In Europe, it was a sudden and brutal reality for numerous nations. This film captures the emotions of those charged with defending their homeland against the Nazi juggernaut; their bravery and fear in the face of futility. The cinematography, acting and direction are superb. It is difficult to comment on the script in a foreign film but I'll just say the translation and subtitles are well done. For militaria buffs, this is perhaps the best depiction I have seen of bolt action rifle warfare. Very close quarters. No semi-autos to be seen. I am stingy with my ratings but tempted to make this a nine star. This movie is well worth the time spent to watch it. Two thumbs up from me.

I have to say that I'm very impressed with this movie. I had always assumed that the Danes were German sympathizers and did not put up an effective response to the German Invasion. This is definitely not so! Our little Bicycle platoon of Brave Danish Warriors, definitely gave the Huns a run for their money.

In the movie, the Machine gunners are instructed to target the armored vehicles. I really couldn't understand why until I read this...

"The German high command tried to present the attack on Denmark as a peaceful invasion in an attempt to score propaganda points, so German losses were never released. They succeeded in this, and most of the world believed Denmark did not put up any resistance against the invasion.[37]

However, in 2005, the archives of the Danish weapons manufacturer DISA ('Danish Industrial Syndicate') were opened. DISA produced the Danish 20 mm cannon that took out (relatively) many German vehicles. The Germans were naturally very interested in this weapon and had forced the syndicate to export them to Germany. And in selling them to the German army, they got their best argument from the Germans themselves: they told the company that 203 soldiers had been killed or wounded by the guns in Jutland.[38]"

I know a little about April 9th 1940 and the following days in Norway, since I am a Norwegian. But I knew little about what happened in our sister country in the south. We both suffered from ignorant governments that refused to see the reality, even when thrown in their eyes. The Norwegian government managed to flee to England. The Danish did not. This movie is about the average person, serving as a solider, who is drawn into a war before the government realizes there is a war. This movie is about soldiers fighting, without knowing that they have already lost. And this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. The story-telling, the acting, the filming, ... If you like historical war movies, this is a must-see.