Edge of Darkness (1943)

 

                Errol Flynn wanted to serve in WWII.  He volunteered for all the branches, but was turned down because of a heart condition, tuberculosis, malaria, and a bad back.  Since he couldn’t fight, he made films like “Edge of Darkness” and “Objective Burma”.  “Edge” is based on the novel by William Woods.  It was directed by Lewis Milestone (“All Quiet…”).  The production was plagued by various a problems.  Originally  the lead was going to be Humphrey Bogart.  When he bowed out Warner Brothers put pressure on Flynn to make the film.  He was a bit distracted by a rape trial, for which he was acquitted.  Production was postponed for three weeks because of a persistent fog.  The movie was one of several movies set in occupied Norway.  The others were “They Raid By Night”, “Commandos Strike at Dawn”, and “First Came Courage”.  “Edge of Darkness” is also known as “Norway in Revolt”.              

                The movie does not start of well.  We get one of the fakest looking bombers in history, followed by very faux ships.  It is October, 1942 in Norway.  Germans enter a town where everyone, including the Germans, are dead.  There are enough corpses than any ten war movies.  We want to know what happened here.  A flashback will tell us.  The Germans control the town.  The German commander knows there is an active resistance movement, but he has no worries because the German position is invulnerable.  The leader of the underground is a fisherman named Gunnar (Flynn).  He is in love with Karen (Ann Sheridan) whose father (Walter Huston) is the town doctor.  Karen’s brother is a quisling, but most of the town is in favor of a revolt.  There is a scene in a church where the townspeople debate whether they should revolt.  It’s a great scene, but it makes you wonder how the patriots can trust the others not to talk.  Not to talk about the arms shipment which will lead to a rousing battle for control of the town.  I don’t need to tell you that the evil Nazi who rapes Karen will get his just reward.

                “Edge of Darkness” was much better than I expected.  I am an Errol Flynn fan, but he made some bad movies.  This one is up there with “Objective Burma” as one of his good WWII movies.  He actually does not dominate the film as Gunnar is just one of a number of solid characters.  Ann Sheridan makes a bigger impression as the feisty Karen.  The evil German is not a caricature, but he is appropriately arrogant.  He talks tough, but weirdly does little to prevent the revolt.  There is no torture of resistance members in this movie.  This is just one of several unrealistic aspects of the film.  Another is that none of the townspeople rat out the revolt.  Maybe Norwegians are more tight-lipped than most people.  And trusting.  The movie is clearly a propaganda film, but I would put it at only a 6 on a scale of 1-10.  Since it was released in 1943, it is not an intervention film.  It is resistance movie that uses the situation in Norway to satisfy audiences with some good old Nazi killing.  The movie does build to a rousing last act.  And we find out what was up with all  those dead bodies.

GRADE  =  B