War Sailor

I'd just finished Greyhound, excited some attention was FINALLY being paid to the Atlantic War...an aspect of WWII few know or think about. All of that "stuff" the US made during the war to fight back against the Axis was useless unless it got to Europe. Sounds simple enough but the convoys carrying these supplies were constantly under attack from the stealthiest vessels of the war; submarines. Greyhound excels at showing the stressful, thrilling yet deadly game of cat & mouse played between allied surface vessels & enemy subs. It's combat at sea between two military forces. While escorting the convoy countless cargo vessels are attacked and sunk. These cargo ships are shown burning & sinking and theres some dialogue about their crews survival - or not...then it's back to the fight. What about those crewmen? These civilian merchant sailors? What was their perspectiv from their experiences?

WAR SAILOR takes us along with a small group of Norwegian merchant sailors as they work aboard a cargo ship during the early days of the war. The experiences and trauma experienced by these people as well as their families at home is filled with tension, worry & horror and as heartbreaking a story as one can imagine; told both in the midst of war as well as after. I highly recommend this either with or without the addition of Greyhound for a complementary experience. I will add that while I enjoyed Greyhound very much it's fairly 2 dimensional in the treatment of its human characters. There's not a lot to them, honestly. WAR SAILOR on the other hand is actually about ordinary people thrust into this incredibly difficult period of history. It's heartfelt and unflinching. I can't recommend it enough.

So, I very rarely write reviews on here. Lots of more eloquent people than I! However, like the reviews to date, I sat to watch, knowing little about the title. Tend to be drawn to WW2 drama.

This was truly compelling viewing from start to finish. Like others, I watched all the way through in one sitting.

The story is compelling and one that I wasn't too familiar with.

The characters were well developed and one could empathise easily. Cinematography was stunning. Big fan of Scandinavia & it portrayed well.

The depiction of war here felt "real" i.e. The random cruelty, injustice, coincidences, 'the way things work out'.

Well done. So good, I felt obligated to review!

In "War Sailor" we have average production values, excellent acting and a documentarian approach to the participation of the Norwegian merchant marine during World War Two. But as a drama it is not a movie one should see when they're not in the best of moods. It is overwhelmingly depressing. I watched all three episodes end on end, and I should not have done that. So, I emphatically recommend that viewers do not "binge" on this mini-series. This is not a war movie that shows the triumph of the human spirit, and in fact demonstrates the absolute darkest corners of that spirit. In fact, this movie seems to say, "Life is unrelentingly harsh, then you die."

I didn't know what to expect of this series, having neither read nor seen anything about it prior to watching it. Be forewarned -- it is difficult to watch (that is an understatement).

Rarely has a war experience been so poignantly translated to the screen. It's an utterly devastating and powerful portrayal about how war destroys people, physically and mentally. And despite our wish for a Hollywood ending, for many the mental wounds inflicted during war never heal; the torment ends only in the grave.

The acting is uniformly superb, but special commendation must be given to Kristoffer Joner, whose portrayal of Alfred is sublime. Kudos also to Pål Sverre Hagen, who plays Alfred's comrade, Sigbjørn.

I highly recommend giving Krigsseileren (War Sailors) a watch. The episodes were so gripping I watched the entire series in one sitting.

Wow. Get those tissues ready in case you inadvertently get something in your eye during the final chapter.

Like all truly great cinema, the power here is in what remains unsaid, never have I ever felt so completely destroyed by a single stare. The acting is truly brilliant from the whole cast.

Yes it's slow and at times somewhat meandering - all great epics are, but the slower sections are puntuated with big action sequences that bring to life the horrors of war.

The focus is absolutely on the human cost though - the physical and mental, and the longterm trauma, whiich never really go away and hown they echo throughout societies destroying relationships and corrupting even the bravest and goodest among us.

Truly a brilliant spectacle and visceral story, beautifully told, brilliantly acted and absolutely immersive that will linger with you long after credits roll. 10/10.