L'ange des ténèbres

From the mystery of the first scene, you know that this is not just another war movie. This dealt honestly and on a raw level with the gut-wrenching issues that emerge when a country is occupied by a people not very much unlike themselves. Both sides try to reconcile the apparent incongruities to peacefully co-exist and yet allow the Norwegians to keep their basic human dignity, but alas the positions are inevitably irreconcilable. Because the emotions it portrays are so genuine and honest, this is one of the best propaganda films made by the allies while the war was still ongoing. Nancy Colman and Judith Anderson are standouts in a uniformly excellent cast. I consider this the perfect war film.

I am old enough to have seen "Edge of Darkness" first run during WWII, and believe me this was a powerful movie for a 13 year old during the war. I've always remembered the effect of President Roosevelt's over voice message at the end of the film. For those who haven't seen this film the message was an excerpt from a speech he made probably in late 1940 or 41, and it refers to the resistance of the people of Norway to the occupation by the Nazis. I wouldn't doubt that it is possible that this speech was the inspiration for the novel from which the film is based. Yes, the way this over voice was used was a wartime "message" or propaganda if you will, but having seen and re-seen every war film made during WWII, I think this was about the best use of wartime messages.

This wartime action thriller from Warner Brothers and director Lewis Milestone depicts an uprising by the citizenry of a small Norwegian fishing village against the occupying Nazi forces. Gunnar (Errol Flynn) and Karen (Ann Sheridan) help to organize the simple folk of the area against the brutal Nazi soldiers led by Captain Koenig (Helmut Dantine).

There was a popular sub-genre of war picture during the war years that centered on common European folk rising up against Nazi occupiers. This is one of the best that I've seen, although the propaganda nature of the storytelling keeps it from being truly great. Another minor weakness lies in Flynn's character, a rather bland cipher with little to distinguish him. Flynn apparently felt the same himself and tried to get out of the movie, but in the end it turned out to be a quality picture on his resume. Sheridan is good, if a bit too made up for a Norwegian villager in her situation. I also liked Nancy Coleman as a Polish gal at the end of her rope, and Judith Anderson as a rather severe woman whose secretly in love with one of the occupying soldiers. The movie's explosive climax seems light years away from director Milestone's work 13 years previously on what is arguably the greatest anti-war film, All Quiet On the Western Front.

One of the things that all of the films about Norway during World War II fail to mention is why the Nazis were there in the first place. All of the Scandinavian countries would have gladly sat out this war as they did World War I. In fact all, but Sweden got into it for various reasons.

In the case of Norway, it's simply the long Norwegian coastline. Even before the Soviet Union was invaded, Hitler saw the necessity of preventing supplies from getting to the Soviets should they break the Hitler-Stalin pact and enter the war on the allied side. The convoy route used was the one into the Arctic Ocean into Archangel and Murmansk. No other route was possible for American lend lease. The Nazis operated bases from Norway and sank a lot of allied shipping in the North Atlantic.

So this is why this small village and so many others like it were occupied and why the country was invaded. The Norwegian people from the king and queen on down, knew their country was in a sideshow theater, yet they did resist as best they could.

In fact Mr. Churchill did mount a counterattack in Norway, but the invasion failed and British troops had to withdraw. From time to time he brought up freeing Norway during allied conferences, but could get no support for it from Roosevelt or Stalin.

Errol Flynn stars in Edge of Darkness and the usual Flynn derring-do is kept on hold. Probably in keeping with the stoical nature of Scandinavian character. He's not exactly Captain Blood in this one. He's a fisherman, but his natural qualities of leadership come through as he leads the resistance.

Edge of Darkness is the story of one coastal Norwegian village who put up with Nazi occupation beyond what was humanly bearable. The rape of Ann Sheridan finally touches off a revolt.

It's not a star vehicle per se. Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan have a great deal less dialog than they would in most films. Edge of Darkness is a study of the various townspeople and the way each one of them deals with the Nazi occupation.

Walter Huston and Ruth Gordon are the parents of Sheridan and John Beal. Huston is the town doctor and tries to remain above the battle. Gordon, like Patricia Collinge in The Little Foxes, retreats into nostalgia. Sheridan is a resistance member and Beal was an informer in Oslo, but only the immediate family know it at first.

However the performance I like the best is Charles Dingle's. Dingle has always been one of my favorite character players ever. He's Gordon's brother, the owner of the cannery, and he quite deliberately chooses to collaborate with the Germans. He's the kind of villain you love to hate as is Helmut Dantine the commanding officer of the Nazi garrison.

We learn Dingle's fate at the beginning of the film and as the action unfolds in flashback the audience really rejoices in that fate.

No mistake about it, Edge of Darkness is a World War II propaganda film, but still entertaining today

Errol Flynn made some of the best and most exciting WW2 films. Here he's part of an ensemble in this story about a small Norwegian fishing village under Nazi occupation. Many of the villagers want to fight back against their occupiers but they have no weapons. Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan are the two main leaders of this resistance group. Sheridan's father Walter Huston wishes to avoid fighting and wait the war out. Then you have her uncle and brother, who are Nazi collaborators. Eventually tensions within the village boil over and the citizens revolt against the evil Nazis.

The cast is excellent. In addition to the three big stars I list above, who all do commendable work, there's an outstanding supporting cast. Judith Anderson is a ballsy resistance fighter who is in love with one of the Nazis but doesn't let that sway her loyalty. Ruth Gordon gives one of her patented sensitive and soft-spoken performances. Charles Dingle and John Beal play the rat bastards who sell their own out to the enemy. One of them has a moment of redemption by the end. Morris Carnovsky is extraordinary as an elderly man who stands up to the Nazis despite the danger. Roman Bohnen is a scene stealer as a patriot who has to overcome his fear. Helmut Dantine plays the scar-faced Nazi in charge of the occupation. Many other fine actors in small parts, some of whom may only get one scene to make an impact but they make the most of it.

Powerful script, beautiful cinematography, and excellent direction. The climactic battle scene is intense. It's an unflinching war movie with little to no comic relief, a rarity for Warner Bros, who usually threw Alan Hale or somebody into these pictures to add some lighter moments. But this is a serious movie about bravery and the sacrifices that so many made in the war. The story doesn't call for lightheartedness. It's one of the best war movies Flynn or WB made.