Blücher

"Battle of Oslo"or "Blücher" is the second Norwegian film, I've seen in recent years, that covers the early days of the invasion of Norway. Colonial Birger Eriksen was in charge of the Oscarsborg Fortress when the Germans lauched their invasion, sinking the Nazi battleship Blucher, instrumental in buying time for the Norwegian goverment and King, to escape the country. This film, like its predecessor, imparts in stark terms, the emotional individual impact felt by a nation's people, that had not been at war, to that point, for 120 years. The awful decision Eriksen has to make to take action. The obvious anguish he experiences, when he see's German sailors, struggling to flee their sinking vessel, the stress of keeping up what is a doomed fight, whilst preserving the lives of his men and the civilian population, of the region. This is set against the back drop of what could generously be described as a "kangeroo commission", set up in 1946, to shift blame from the government of 1940, who failed to ensure the nation was militarily secure, in the face of the threat of potential invasion onto men like Erikson, who fought, against the odds. This is an exceptional film on many levels, from its cinematography, that alternately uses colour with often remarkable visuals and more austere, black and white to underline a shift in the emotional focus and the mood of the film. Acting is equally superb from the cast, with Bjørn Sundquist, handing in a remarkable performance, as Eriksen. In summary, this is a film that, at its core, demonstrates the traumatic impact of war, upon a fundamentally peaceful people. A must watch.