A short reference to the Beatles and the “Woods” of the world–Hollywood, Bollywood, Talliwood, etc.  World War II took a terrible toll on Norway.  One of the best ways to get “the overall picture” is by watching Hamsun, a biography of a prominent Norwegian who tries to take the middle way, but instead finds there is no middle way.  The Last Lieutenant brings to light the heroic, yet futile struggle one Norwegian soldier makes as the Nazis invade. They Raid by Night shows the early attempts to fight back against the Nazis with Commandos.  The Heroes of Telemark expand on this theme.  Telemark is much more elaborate than They Raid by Night.  The cast includes Richard Harris and Kirk Douglas.  The movie is also based on historic fact.  Finally there is 633 Squadron.  Once again the Allies need to sabotage the Nazi war effort.  This time the RAF and the Milorg (Norwegian resistance) team up to win the battle.

This movie portrays the personal anguish that war imposes on those “caught in the middle”.  Hamsun was a real life poet/statesman of Norway.  He lived a complex life–estranged from family, caught between the past and present, revered for his nationalism, despised for his relations with facism.  This movie captures the pains and sorrows that war (in this case World War II) brings.  Even the victors are burdened with dispensing justice.  Hamsun is long, drawn out, and very tragic.  But we see how lucky we are not to have faced such devilish choices.