secondtake The Edge of Darkness (1943) A solid WWII movie about the resistance in Norway. There is the immediate plot, about an ally who was occupied by the Nazi Germans, and there is the wider allegory about ordinary people (the Americans watching the movie) rising up against true tyranny. Errol Flynn is of course famous for his swordsmanship in his earlier films, but he plays a thoroughly good man well, tortured by the facts but always out to do what is best. There are other actors that matter-Walter Huston as a prominent doctor in town, and Ann Sheridan as the principled, stoic woman. It's mostly a routine production, with obvious anti-Nazi sentiments that override much of the plot. And it starts a bit slowly, with a set up that mattered more when the movie was made and see in the theaters and the Germans were crushing Europe. Including Norway, which famously did not go neutral like Sweden did, and paid a high price. The people portrayed here are the ordinary folk who seem powerless next to a well armed occupying army, but who found a way to fight back, at least in their own microcosym. You can't get away from the predictable stances of everyone here-including the necessary traitor or two. There is little suspense, but there is a lot of tension, which is different-these are in the many scenes toward the end of military confrontations. It's here that director Milestone seems to still be making his famous "All Quiet on the Western Front" which is a great movie with a great script. This is not great, but it's not just because the script and novel are ordinary. There is a style of acting and filming here that is a bit false. Watch people get shot and throw their arms in the air in a way that is reall more like a creaky silent film. It's mostly solid, to be sure, and a supportive part of the war effort. Keep that context to get the most out of it. And feel for the real people who had to fight and live through the Nazi brutality.

talisencrw I have always wondered how it must have felt to make a 'wartime' movie about a war you're currently living in, and lately I stumbled upon a quintet of films made during the Second World War with Errol Flynn, of all people, battling the Nazis. Because of it both being by Turner Classic Movies AND had one film directed by Lewis Milestone (with one of the finest anti-war statements ever made, 'All Quiet on the Western Front', under his belt) and the others by none other than Raoul Walsh, I was, pardon the pun, 'in like Flynn'. But as Flynn had been one of my favourite actors of the period simply on the basis of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', I honestly would have gone for it anyway. Yeah, you could say I love older movies! =)My best friend Earl remarked, 'By the end of WWII, they used up all of the good film titles,' and he probably has a point there, at least with this one, still getting quality usage THREE generations later, and with Mel Gibson to boot. But this was weird for a war film (looking at the resistance put up by a village of 800 Norwegians) bizarrely cast (with Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson and Ruth Gordon--all as the GOOD guys!), and had taped speeches by BOTH Churchill and Roosevelt. I read notorious British film critic Leslie Halliwell's review that everything was decent about the film except that it starred Flynn. He couldn't have been more wrong.I'm greatly looking forward to examining the other four films of the set, all directed by one of the most underrated American directors of all time--Raoul Walsh.

tomsview Made during the middle of WW2, "Edge of Darkness" tells how the Norwegian citizens of Trollness, led by a resistance fighter played by Errol Flynn, rose up and liberated themselves from their Nazi oppressors.Although the film is probably as close to real events as "Cowboys vs. Zombies", historical accuracy wasn't the number one priority of the filmmakers. The film was a contribution by Warners Bros to the Allied war effort, and is so stirring that if people didn't rush off to enlist as soon as they left the theatre then they would have at least bought a stack of war bonds. There is a lot of movie magic in the film. Location footage was combined with scenes shot on the sound stage with a great deal of miniature work thrown in. This mixture gives the film a somewhat mythical quality; we are drawn into the isolated, almost claustrophobic world of Trollness, where the battle, physical and ideological, is fought between the Norwegians and the Germans.These days we accept Errol Flynn as a far better actor than was probably acknowledged back then when his activities in the bedroom seemed to blur any appreciation of his talent. He underplays here and is very believable as is Ann Sheridan.However, Helmut Dantine stole the show as the commander of the German garrison. Dantine could 'master race' with the best of them. Hollywood had some very effective actors who specialised in playing Nazis, but Dantine could out-heel click, out-Heil and out-face slap any of them. Although Nazis of that era could never be portrayed sympathetically, Dantine created a complex character, seemingly on the verge of a breakdown.The most memorable sequence in the film is the uprising at the end. Much of the action is filmed with the same brilliant tracking shots director Lewis Milestone used in "All Quiet on the Western Front" especially as the Norwegians advance against the German machine guns or fight them hand-to-hand in the streets.There are many dramatic speeches in the film. A number of characters espouse ideas that probably weighed against the screenwriters a little later in the McCarthy era. After all, the biggest traitor in the film is also the major symbol of capitalism - the wealthy owner of the local cannery.The battle was also fought in the film's music. Franz Waxman counterpoints soaring renditions of Norway's national anthem and hymns with bursts of "Deutschland über alles" - all adding to the richness of the film.I can imagine this would have been an uplifting film to see during WW2. Even now it's hard not to get a lump in the throat as the Norwegians break into song in defiance of the Nazis. Corny to some maybe, but for me it's a classy piece of filmmaking from Hollywood's Golden Age.

James_Yang-1 Powerful, dramatic, and rousing, this 1940's war propaganda movie is of the same stock as The Whits Cliffs of Cover and Blockade, only with a different approach. Set in the backdrop of Norway, the movie focuses its energies on the proletariat and their struggles against the Nazis. Errol Flynn stars in a role that is more dual leadership than his previous sole leadership roles. Ann Sheridan takes the female part in a role that was not commonly depicted in the -40's: a strong woman. Although slightly biased (as were the majority of films conceived in this time period), the movie is moving and evocative. Not Errol's strongest role, this movie, after viewing hundreds of 30's and 40's movies, is one of the best ones in terms of its message, objective, and acting.