Edge of Darkness (1943)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

William Woods (novel)
Robert Rossen (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 April 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

A story incomparable of a people unconquerable.

Plot:

It's two years after the Nazi's invasion of Norway and in a small fishing village that is headquarters to 150 German soldiers...

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Arms | Norway | Revolt | Fishing Village

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Gunnar Brogge
Ann Sheridan	...	Karen Stensgard
Walter Huston	...	Dr. Martin Stensgard
Nancy Coleman	...	Katja
Helmut Dantine	...	Captain Hauptmann Koenig
Judith Anderson	...	Gerd Bjarnesen
Ruth Gordon	...	Anna Stensgard
John Beal	...	Johann Stensgard
Morris Carnovsky	...	Sixtus Andresen
Charles Dingle	...	Kaspar Torgerson
Roman Bohnen	...	Lars Malken
Richard Fraser	...	Pastor Aalesen
Art Smith	...	Knut Osterholm

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #8705) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Cannery Row, Monterey, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Several cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names, if any): Michael Mark (Fisherman), Al Bridge (Whaler), Victor Potel, Richard Kipling and Vera Lewis.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Anna Stensgard suggests they have a drink to celebrate Johann's return, her glass changes position between shots. It's first in her hand, then on the table, then back in her hand.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shadows (1959)

Soundtrack:

A Mighty Fortress is Our God (Ein' Feste Burg)

Great War Drama, Bad Timing...

Timing is everything, in releasing a motion picture. CASABLANCA had the great fortune to be released as allied troops landed in North Africa, guaranteeing the film an even broader audience than it would have achieved, otherwise. EDGE OF DARKNESS, on the other hand, was filmed as Errol Flynn was being tried on statutory rape charges, and although he was acquitted, so many of his off-screen antics became public knowledge that a serious film, featuring Flynn with the same kind of heroic persona as he had portrayed, prior to the trial, wasn't taken seriously. Audiences had gone into fits of laughter over the title of his previous film, THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, knowing of the actor's voracious sexual appetites, and "In Like Flynn" had become a catchphrase for success with the opposite sex. While the WB was amazed that Flynn's popularity didn't immediately plummet after the trial, the public quickly made it clear that his credibility in 'heroic' roles was over (much as what would happen to Rob Lowe, nearly forty years later). The studio would ultimately produce fewer and fewer 'quality' films starring Flynn, and would throw in frequent references to his womanizing ways, denigrating his talent and self-esteem. An increasing dependency on alcohol, drugs, and self indulgence would fill the void, and a physical and spiritual decline began (Flynn was only 50 when he passed away, in 1959).

While much of this was yet to come, it's first effect could be seen in the lack of public acceptance for Lewis Milestone's remarkable drama. EDGE OF DARKNESS is a timeless tale of the impact an occupying force (in this case, the Nazis), has on a small community. Told in flashback, and set in a Norwegian fishing village, this ensemble story runs the gamut of people's reactions, from defiant (Flynn, as the Resistance leader, and Ann Sheridan, as his love, and fellow fighter), to complacent (Walter Huston, terrific as Sheridan's father, the town physician), to fearful (Ruth Gordon, as Huston's wife), to cowardly (the mayor, who welcomes the Nazis with open arms). As the invaders physically and mentally abuse the residents, individual acts of disobedience increase, escalating the brutality, until, in an explosive climax, the town becomes a war zone.

From the opening scene (reminiscent of BEAU GESTE), as the Nazi relief force finds the town apparently abandoned, until the final scene, as a swelling choral version of the hymn, 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God' is heard behind FDR's voice, praising the courage of Norway, EDGE OF DARKNESS is a taut, riveting tale of real people facing a life or death crisis. It has outlasted the public ridicule of it's star, to become a classic to younger generations of fans.

Errol Flynn might have appreciated that!