Into the White

I really liked this movie. It doesn't attempt to be a Hollywood blockbuster or anything like that. Just a good, smart, watchable film.

If you're reading these reviews, then you probably already know the basic story: several British airmen during WWII find themselves in a remote Nordic cabin with several German airmen. They must cooperate or perish.

There's a great scene where the group is drinking merrily, and find themselves outside, watching a spectacular display of the Northern Lights. Even in the midst of despair, the men are able to enjoy a total moment of solace.

"Into the White" is similar to an old Frank Sinatra film "None But the Brave". Both are set during WWII and both are about a small isolated group of soldiers from both sides MUST work together to survive. In the case of "None But the Brave", it was a fictional story about American and Japanese soldiers. Here with "Into the White", it's about two groups of fliers--one German and the other British. However, instead of taking place in the nice, warm Pacific, this film is set in the frozen wastes of Norway. When both planes are shot down, five airmen all converge on a hut--and there just isn't enough food and fuel to keep them alive unless they can figure out something.

So, is this film worth seeing? For a guy like me who has taught history AND loves WWII airplane films, of course--I am the perfect audience. However, for the rest, it might be a tougher sell. But, if you let yourself watch the film and don't give up on it quickly because there isn't much action, I do think you'll appreciate and enjoy the film. Plus, it's a nice opportunity to see Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter films) in a VERY different role. All around, lovely acting, direction as well as a nice respect for real history. Based on what I've read, aside from inexplicably changing the names of the British fliers, it's a highly accurate representation of what really occurred--believe it or not!

Although it does not really qualify as war film, 'Into the White' ranges among the best WW2 films I have seen. The makers as well as the actors deserve praise for getting the most out of a fascinating story: The film is beautifully shot, the soundtrack fits perfectly and the characters are convincing. Indeed, great care must have been taken when choosing the actors, for they not only have the correct origin (except for Strunk, though this will probably go undetected by non-native speakers) but also look like people did back then.

All in all it might not be an overly thought-provoking film, but nonetheless it is very watchable - highly recommendable.

Norwegian director Petter Næss has gathered a fine acting crew in this true story about three German and two British war pilots meeting up in a remote hunting cabin during a harsh Norwegian winter storm up in the high mountains, after shooting each other's planes down during the Second World War.

Being forced to work together, with all doubts and mistrust, they after some days started off what was an unlikely friendship while the war was on it's culmination.

The film succeeds in telling a story of fright evolving into friendship, in a chamber like story. All the five main actors are doing a great job with this interesting story.

It's still in the last part of the movie we start really feeling there's a war going on. If the film is to be criticized, it's for not really making us get into the war feeling at the start of the film.

The landscape is beautiful, and the war is 70 years ago. Will everyone understand the situation. In the end, this is really clear, and the film functions here. I'd really like to get more of the war feeling in the start of the film. A shot down airplane and some soldiers doesn't do that in a winterly landscape. The film gets better the further it gets into the material.

That said, the film is really worth watching. Great acting. The German actors are actually the best. Stig Henrik Hoff is also convincing, and David Cross is doing a good role. Rupert Grint has some troubles getting into it in his first feature after seven Harry potters, or maybe it's me seeing that beyond the witchcraft?

In my opinion Petter Næss has nailed another great film. All of his filmography is worth seeing. Wanting to film this story for a long time, he's given us another epic story from the epic Second World War, giving us the hope that this will learn us to never get into another one.

In World War II, the German pilots Lieutenant Horst Schopis (Florian Lukas), Josef Schwartz (David Kross) and Wolfgang Strunk (Stig Henrik Hoff) crash their airplane in the wilderness of Norway after shooting down a British airplane.

They walk through a snow storm until they reach shelter in an abandoned hunter cabin. Soon the British pilot Captain Charles P. Davenport (Lachlan Nieboer) and the gunner Robert Smith (Rupert Grint) arrive in the cabin and they become prisoners of the German pilots. However, after the initial friction between the enemies, they realize that they should team-up to survive in the wilderness in the beginning of an improbable friendship.

"Into the White" is based on the true story of German and British pilots that crash in the mountains of Norway in the winter and in order to survive, they conclude that they need to work together. In the end, we are all equals and the enemies become friends. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Entre Inimigos" ("Among Enemies")