During the Nazi occupation of Norway, a small Norwegian village struggles to cope with the invaders and some locals choose collaboration while others prefer armed resistance.During the Nazi occupation of Norway, a small Norwegian village struggles to cope with the invaders and some locals choose collaboration while others prefer armed resistance.During the Nazi occupation of Norway, a small Norwegian village struggles to cope with the invaders and some locals choose collaboration while others prefer armed resistance.
- Awards
- 2 wins
Cedric Hardwicke
- Col. Lanser
- (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Frederic Brunn
- German Soldier
- (as Frederick Brunn)
Ernst Deutsch
- Maj. Hunter
- (as Ernest Dorian)
Ludwig Donath
- Hitler's Voice
- (as Louis Donath)
Richard Abbott
- Villager
- (uncredited)
Louis V. Arco
- Schumann
- (uncredited)
Georgia Backus
- Villager
- (uncredited)
John Banner
- Lt. Prackle
- (uncredited)
Trevor Bardette
- Knute Pierson - Foreman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed on the same sets used for the Welsh mining village in How Green Was My Valley (1941).
- GoofsMost of the German soldiers are wearing WWI-style Stahlhelm helmets, not the WWII version used from 1935 on. Also, paratroopers (Fallschirmjagers) are shown, but none of the German troops are wearing their helmet - without the projecting visor and flared rim.
- Quotes
Lt. Tonder: Last night I dreamed that Hitler was crazy!
- Crazy creditsOpening credits are shown with a hand gesturing to a map of Norway, indicating what is about to take place in the film.
Featured review
There were several films made during the uncertainty of WWII that focused on European resistance, to boost up morale and show the frightened Americans in the audience that if we all pulled together and resisted, we would lick the Germans. My all-time favorite is Edge of Darkness, but if you've already seen that one and are looking for more in that same subgenre, check out The Moon Is Down. It's a little on the obscure side, with Cedric Hardwicke getting top billing, Henry Travers getting second, and Lee J. Cobb taking third, but it's still a good drama. You'll have to cut it slack for not having the budget of an A-tier picture, but if it did and could have afforded Walter Huston or Monty Woolley, it might have been remembered today.
Surprisingly gritty for 1943, this war drama has many dark moments. When one group of rebels gets the firing squad, they sing "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" until they are killed, at which time the crowd of townspeople take over. In another scene, Henry Travers gives a condemned man a pep talk before his death, telling him that the men who kill him will never have another moment's peace. Henry delivers the lines just like he would have as Clarence the Angel, but you can see through that the script and intent were good.
Only rent this one if you're in the mood for something heavy. At that point in the war, we didn't know which side was going to win, and most of the war movies were pretty grim. You could tell we were frightened, a feeling many post-war movies weren't able to capture since the outcome was already known.
Surprisingly gritty for 1943, this war drama has many dark moments. When one group of rebels gets the firing squad, they sing "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" until they are killed, at which time the crowd of townspeople take over. In another scene, Henry Travers gives a condemned man a pep talk before his death, telling him that the men who kill him will never have another moment's peace. Henry delivers the lines just like he would have as Clarence the Angel, but you can see through that the script and intent were good.
Only rent this one if you're in the mood for something heavy. At that point in the war, we didn't know which side was going to win, and most of the war movies were pretty grim. You could tell we were frightened, a feeling many post-war movies weren't able to capture since the outcome was already known.
- HotToastyRag
- Nov 26, 2022
- Permalink
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Details
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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