Gjest Baardsen

Loosely based on the autobiography of Gjest Baardsen, a 19th century outlaw, this eponymous 1939 film was the most popular Norwegian movie of the era.

After the 1814 war with Sweden, Norway is bankrupt and the government decides to confiscate all silver in the land. Anna Reinche (Vibeke Falk) owns a chest of silver. On this account, she is pursued by the nefarious prosecutor Mons Peder Michelsen (Joachim Holst-Jensen). Enter Gjest Baardson (Alfred Maurstad), a thief who prefers craft to violence.

The film looks like a B movie remake of Robin Hood, and compares favorably to the Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn melodramas. Maurstad has a good comedic sense, even if he's no Fairbanks. Vibeke Falk is astonishingly beautiful, and Holst-Jensen– usually a comedic actor– is suitably sinister.

'Gjest Baardson' alternates between studio scenes with extensive dialog and mostly silent location scenes. The studio scenes are well lit, but really nothing special. Unfortunately, these predominate. The location shots are interesting, contrasting the narrow, claustrophobic streets of Bergen with the ragged, outsize mountains of the Fjordland. (The film also contains two musical numbers, which were very popular at the time.)

'Gjest Baardson' was a Norwegian attempt at a Hollywood melodrama. It was released during the dark days immediately preceding the May 1940 German invasion, As escapism, the movie succeeded admirably– providing audiences with something the probably needed at this time.