Krigsseileren

This is another well-crafted war movie from Norway. Earlier, viewers were treated to a similar war movie, "Navik," also another well-made Norwegian production and shot in northern Norway.

What's impressive about War Sailor, which can be said about Narvik, too, is that it's a thoughtful movie without the obligatory hysteria that usually punctuates the genre.

The horrors of war don't distract the viewer from the compelling story that unfolds.

The major storyline may not be unique. There are war stories that highlight close friends in the battlefield who protect each other to the best of their abilities. A recent example is Devotion. Another is Band of Brothers.

This time around, the close friends are aboard merchant ships conscripted by the Norwegian government to the Allied war effort during the early part of World War II. This brings them to Malta and Liverpool en route to New York thence to Murmansk, Russia.

But aside from the gore of war that the limited series portrays, it also succeeds in driving home the raw emotions that loved ones torn apart by circumstance confront because of the reality of war wherever they are: in the high seas or in Bergen.

In the end, it's their love for each other, which can only be described as agape, that allows Freddy and Sigbjorn to survive the war and its aftermath.

There's this scene towards the end, when both men are in their seventies, in which Sigbjorn visits Freddie's family in Bergen on the occasion of the birthday of the latter's youngest son after so many years of absence. That scene is so gut-wrenching in unexpected ways.

The movie doesn't hesitate to inform the viewer, as an aside, of the losses inflicted on Norway for the sake of the Allied cause in terms of its citizens who died aboard its merchant ships as well as the number of such ships destroyed or sunk during the war.

This is a triumph of Norwegian cinema. Don't miss it.

The story is amazing, the cinematography is great, and the deapth of each look really leaves a mark.

The lead actors are really good, and probably norway's best ones. But the thing about norwegian movies is that the dialog seams sooo forced. I don't know if it is just me that is too stricht, but both Kristoffer Joner and Pål Sverre Hagen are such good actors when it comes to body language, facial expression and overrall feeling, that I expect the dialogs to be better. The way the manuscript is written probably shoud take a lot of the blame, and is, in my opinion, what stops a lot of norwegian produced films from being great. On the other hand, all the acting in other forms then spreach leaves me speachless! The looks, the feelings, the body language, the details, the entire mood of the movie is worth admiring.

The love and care that is shown between these caracters breaks my heart, it is delivered in such a delicate, vulnerable way.

Overall I enjoyed the movie, it enlightens a part of history that I really have not given much thought.

I'm partial to films based on historic events and facts. The dramatizations give us a glimpse into how those events affected individual lives, lending a better understanding of the past and the present.

The high quality production values of this series include a delicately understated script (always a favorite), compelling performances, and sensitive direction. The friendship between the two main characters struggling to follow their better angels is a haunting backdrop to the horrors of war.

The heartbreaking denouement is a reminder of the persistent scars and lifelong consequences for veterans and the society at large. The film is not an indictment of war, but rather the aggressor.

Just when we thought nothing of quality is left, nothing worth our time, what we have left of it. War Sailor shows up on Netflix. As real a depiction of events which shaped our world as you are likely to see. Transportation to another place and time at a historic moment in history, for the price of your Netflix subscription. Driven by a massive budget, insightful direction and powered by a screenplay that at times seems as if the words spoken were transcribed as they were overheard. Empowering performances that transcend the ordinary. Your mind tells you these are actors but your eyes and heart tell you differently. You come to believe this is real flesh and blood torn by events unfolding in Europe as the spreading war takes its toll. Highly recommended.

How is it that the recognised luminaries in Hollywood can't do delivery like this anymore ? War and its brutality in full technicolour. Very reminiscent of Das Boot ( and feel deliberately so ), warts and all. I think the main thrust of the production is to highlight the lack of recognition most of these merchant seamen went through to keep the allies ahead of the fascists. More so, the country itself, whilst under occupation. The scene with young Aksel is particularly poignant and makes its point very succinctly. At times the pace is slow, but don't let that put you off, as overall it's particularly well done.