Ni liv (1957)

Director:

Arne Skouen

Writers:

David Howarth (book)
Arne Skouen (writer)

Release Date:

11 November 1957 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Adventure | Thriller | War

Tagline:

The Most Exciting True Escape Story Ever Filmed!

Plot:

The movie takes place during World War II and depicts the true story of Jan Baalsruds amazing escape...

Plot Keywords:

German | Norway | Escape | Story | Snow

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Jack Fjeldstad	...	Jan Baalsrud
Henny Moan	...	Agnes
Alf Malland	...	Martin
Joachim Holst-Jensen	...	Bestefar
Lydia Opøien	...	Jordmoren
Edvard Drabløs	...	Skolelæreren
Sverre Hansen	...	Skomakeren
Rolf Søder	...	Sigurd Eskeland
Ottar Wicklund	...	Henrik
Olav Nordrå	...	Konrad
Alf Ramsøy	...	Ivar, kjelketrekker
Jens Bolling	...	Alfred, kjelketrekker
Per Bronken	...	Ole, kjelketrekker
Grete Nordrå	...	Stenografen
Lillebil Nordrum	...	Sykepleiersken

Also Known As:

Nine Lives (USA)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Troms, Norway

Company:

Nordsjøfilm

Trivia:

In 1991 Norwegian television-viewers voted this the best Norwegian movie ever made.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in De reddet hans liv (1988) (TV)

What I did ,I can swear ...

...no beast could have done it! (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Guillaumet's words ,in "les Camarades") This famous sentence was on my mind all along the movie, which I had never heard of before and which was a big surprise for me.Once again,thanks to my good IMDb pal,Oystein ,who provided me with one fine work from his native country.I will try and introduce it to my French cinebuffs friends cause it is virtually unfairly unknown over here.

A resistant fighter ,during WW2,stays in an hospital.He seems seriously wounded.He remembers :the film will consist of a very long flashback.

After all his companions have been killed or captured ,the hero begins a long odyssey to get to the Sweden border.Little by little,we realize that the enemy is no longer the Nazis who occupy his homeland :it's the white spaces,the frozen fjords ,the cold,the wolves ,a hostile nature .The film is so intense that we often "feel "the hero's sufferings.

Remarkable sequences:the hallucinations,the hero sees a woman ,then a neon reading "GRAND HOTEL" while he is lost in a white hell;all these humble people who risk their life for their compatriot,particularly the woman and her baby and the good old grandpa;the "resurrection " when Jan rose from the snow,like a Nordic Lazarus;the final rein deers stampede .

This is really a splendid effort from Norway.