| Cast overview: | |||
| Florian Lukas | ... | Leutnant Horst Schopis | |
| David Kross | ... | Obergefreiter Josef Schwartz | |
| Stig Henrik Hoff | ... | Feldwebel Wolfgang Strunk | |
| Lachlan Nieboer | ... | Captain Charles P. Davenport | |
| Rupert Grint | ... | Gunner Robert Smith | |
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Kim Haugen | ... | Løytnant Bjørn Gustavsen - Norwegian Ski Patrol |
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Knut Joner | ... | Menig Harald Gustavsen - Norwegian Ski Patrol |
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Morten Faldaas | ... | Terje - Norwegian Ski Patrol |
| Sondre Krogtoft Larsen | ... | Kjell - Norwegian Ski Patrol | |
In World War II, the German pilots Lieutenant Horst Schopis, Josef Schwartz and Wolfgang Strunk crash their airplane in the wilderness of Norway after shooting down a British airplane. They walk through a snow storm until they reach shelter in an abandoned hunter cabin. Soon the British pilot Captain Charles P. Davenport and the gunner Robert Smith arrive in the cabin and they become prisoners of the German pilots. However, after the initial friction between the enemies, they realize that they should team-up to survive in the wilderness in the beginning of an improbable friendship. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This is inspired by a true story.
On 27 April 1940, a German plane shoots down a British plane in the mountains during a brutal Norwegian blizzard. The German plane crashes for some reason that is unknown. The Germans find a cabin to take shelter in until they can move out. The Officer and Airman from the British plane also survived their crash and find the same cabin. The Germans capture the British. After a while it is decided that the only way to survive the severe weather is to forget the Rules of War and find a way for all to get out of this alive. Can it be done?
I am not familiar with any of the actors but they all performed exceedingly well. We are told that the names of the Germans are what you hear in the movie. For some unknown reason, the names of the British were changed.
The movie opens with the crashed German plane on the ground. We didn't see the battle or the crash landing - so much for any action we might have seen. We didn't see the British plane at all. In the cabin tensions between the German and British soldiers are high, but should have been higher and with more grit. There are political stances as to be expected, raggings, insults, some ill advised jokes and once all that is out of their systems the enemies settle down to a somewhat more civilized behavior. They realize they aren't going anywhere and decide to make the best of a bad situation.
They had no food and the cupboards only held a small bag of oats. Later on the cabin reveals a secret.
The snappy/critical dialogues, suspicious eyes, guns pointed, a line on the floor as a border between the Germans, and British all help to keep the movie from dragging. Two only matches flamed out and British Captain Davenport (Lachian Nieboer) had a lighter to light the stove within. That was lucky.
Yes, it is slow in places, but keep in mind there is a war going on and each side would be okay with killing the other side in a New York Minute. The British Captain Davenport will remind some of Hugh Grant as they look and act alike, almost.
At the end of the movie we are told what happened to each of the soldiers. (7/10)
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.