HotToastyRag
In this World War II drama, Kirk Douglas and Richard Harris are part of the Norwegian resistance, and they fight to delay Germany's development of an atomic bomb. This isn't your typical front-lines war movie, and it isn't your typical strategy-only war movie. The leads aren't in shiny uniforms who order troops around all day long. They're regular people doing more than their fair share to help in the war effort, since what they're trying to prevent could change everything. Loosely based on a true story, the movie was filmed on location in Norway, so if you like lots of snowy backdrops in between tense struggles, you'll probably like this one. I've seen so many war movies that they all start to blend together, and really the only part of The Heroes of Telemark that stands out in my mind is the cast. Kirk Douglas and Ulla Jacobsson have wonderful chemistry together, their scenes filled with extra tension because of the wartime setting. Kirk and Richard have opposite screen personas, and it's great fun to see them work off each other and use their combined strengths. If you're the type of person who watches movies for the cast, like I do, you might want to rent this one. If you get bored easily during lengthy war dramas, like I do, you might want to watch Catch Me a Spy or Paths of Glory instead.
Ulriken
True story about daring sabotage by Norwegian commandos fictionalized into action movie.The true story about several attempts to destroy heavy water production for Germany during World War II. Heavy water was produced by the Hydro company in relation to a major water power plant in the mountains of Telemark. The first attempt was in October 1942, while the final sabotage on the ferry happened in February 1944. These operations were carried out by different groups of commando soldiers (as well as failed attempts by US and British bombers), but is in the movie integrated into a single story involving the same, few persons. Names and background of key persons have been changed, romantic relationships added, time span have been shortened, geographical distances understated.Although the movie takes liberties with minor facts, the historical context, key events and the local context is very accurately described. The movie is made on the very same location where the sabotage happened, and the commando soldiers appeared in British uniforms and under British command (within the Special Operations Executive). The movie gives a very precise image of the landscape and winter conditions in the Norwegian mountains. Some details are correctly shown in the movie, for example the fact that the civilian watchman in the heavy water factory was saved by the saboteurs before the bomb went off, and some women and children were warned not to enter the ferry. However, the movie does not show the hardships endured by the saboteurs waiting for months in the mountains with hardly any food available.Although the sabotage probably had little consequences for the course of the war (at least seen in hindsight), these Norwegian commandos were true heroes. The Norwegian resistance under Nazi occupation was limited, but the achievements and efforts of these few men are nothing less then impressive. This movie should be watched only to get a feel of how the time and the context.Heavy water production continued after the war and irony is that some heavy water was sold to Israel (among other countries), and Israel may have used this heavy water in an effort to make nuclear weapons.
writers_reign
Twenty years after the end of the war they were still churning out stuff like this, more or less scraping the bottom of the barrel for 'unknown' incidents to exploit. The events depicted here may well have been true but Anthony Mann does little or nothing to inject any life or excitement into things. For me the attraction was third-billed Michael Redgrave but he was totally wasted in a part even Richard Pascoe couldn't make more lifeless. For a film about heavy water there's a notable lack of chemistry between ANY one person and ANY one else; an 'action' film short on action, a thriller short on thrills in fact the whole thing is a snow job.
whpratt1
Recently visited the Country of Norway and became interested in the area of Telemark where my tour guide told me about this true story concerning the production of heavy water which the Nazi's needed for their experiments in developing an atomic bomb. The photography in Norway is outstanding and clearly shows the Fjord in which all this action took place and the type of ferry that was utilized during WW II. Kirk Douglas,(Dr. Rolf Pedersen) was a scientist at the University of Oslo, Norway and his knowledge was needed by the Resistance movement in Norway and his life changed completely in working with England and America to make attempts to destroy this plant at Telemark. Hollywood added some romance in this picture between Dr. Rolf and his ex-wife, Anna Pedersen, (Ulla Jacobsson) and also great acting by Richard Harris,(Knut Straud) This film clearly shows how the Norwegian people were controlled by Hitler's Nazi's and how brave men and women did everything in their power to defeat their horrible control of human life.
AD
