When a coastal town of Norway becomes the latest victim of Nazi oppression, the proud townspeople gather together to fight for their continued freedom, deal with traitors ("quislings") amongst their own and eventually show their power over German brutality. An excellent example of war propaganda, this masterful Warner Brothers drama is spared no detail in fighting against Hitler's machine of evil. Leading the way are rumored real-life Nazi spy Errol Flynn and "oomph girl" Ann Sheridan who shows that amongst her loveliness, she was also quite a good dramatic actress and had a truly wonderful spirit. Flynn is the leader of the resistance, a seemingly peace- loving fisherman who has no fear of losing his own life if his homeland can regain its freedom and the nasty fifth columnists all drowned with the help of the many fishing boats docked on their beautiful shores.
Sheridan is the daughter of the town's beloved doctor (the always excellent Walter Huston), a peace-loving man who is against the resistance simply because of fear, but circumstances slowly change his mind. He's married to the quiet and wise Ruth Gordon (long before the days of her campy old ladies), and is looked up to by the town. Others highly involved include the local innkeeper (Judith Anderson, playing a wise, courageous and decent woman, a far cry from her many evil film roles) as well as other businessmen who don't want their livelihoods spoiled by the intrusion of these evil invaders. Some agree with the plan to fight, some want peace (particularly the local priest who must weigh his conscience later on as the situation worsens) and others want action immediately. Huston's family has its own issues with Gordon's factory owning brother (Charles Dingle) the biggest quisling of them all, an influence on their college age son (John Beal) who is exposed and banished.
Of course, with any film dealing with wartime propaganda, at times, it is going to seem melodramatic or over-the-top, but the war years were filled with many tragic elements that fortunately didn't touch American soil outside the Japanese detention camps. The hard-working European farmers and merchants suffered greatly at the hands of German and Italian invaders, so there is no need for subtlety. Other movies have presented similar themes (my other favorite being 1940's "The Mortal Storm"), but "Edge of Darkness" is certainly one of the most riveting with its brilliant characterizations and often nuanced portrayals even of individual Nazi's. Case in point, Judith Anderson's love for a German soldier that isn't presented as betrayal, but does create conflict for her in the fact that the invasion of their town took her father's life. For this reason, she has become sort of a "Madame DeFarge" like character, although in this case, she isn't as vile. Her affections for both Flynn and Sheridan add a charming touch to her tough on the outside, pure sentiment on the inside, character, and for me, she's the most interesting of all the villagers.
On the Nazi side, there's Helmut Dantine as the invading captain, a mess of a man who can't bear to listen to the anti-German tirades of various townspeople, particularly an aging professor whom he listens to as if he knows its the truth but just can't face it because of some sort of doomed destiny. He has a Norwegian mistress (Nancy Coleman) who is ill defined as a character, and I cringed a bit when she makes her final statement starting with "I would like to make a speech". Another apparent Nazi is really an ally plant who risks his life several times in his efforts to help the townsfolk. When tragic circumstances strikes Sheridan, Huston takes things into his own hands which culminates with a seemingly deadly result, and by this time, the Nazi's are worse monsters than anything that came out of Universal's stable of creatures.
Excellent direction by "All Quiet on the Western Front's" Lewis Milestone holds everything together, and the screenplay by future director Robert Rossen (based on a novel by William Wods) is brilliant with only a few minor exceptions. Sid Hickox's photography is striking, and the music by Franz Waxman draws the viewer in emotionally from the time the opening credits roll. I only had issues with some of the cut away photo shots between the resistance and the Nazi's which made it seem that they were closer to each other than they obviously were. I could just see this being played in the movie theater in 1943 with audience members hissing every time the Nazi's did something despicable and large rounds of applause when they got their come-uppance. For that reason alone, this stands the test of time, because every time I have watched this (which has been many), I find myself wanting to do the same thing.
Sheridan is the daughter of the town's beloved doctor (the always excellent Walter Huston), a peace-loving man who is against the resistance simply because of fear, but circumstances slowly change his mind. He's married to the quiet and wise Ruth Gordon (long before the days of her campy old ladies), and is looked up to by the town. Others highly involved include the local innkeeper (Judith Anderson, playing a wise, courageous and decent woman, a far cry from her many evil film roles) as well as other businessmen who don't want their livelihoods spoiled by the intrusion of these evil invaders. Some agree with the plan to fight, some want peace (particularly the local priest who must weigh his conscience later on as the situation worsens) and others want action immediately. Huston's family has its own issues with Gordon's factory owning brother (Charles Dingle) the biggest quisling of them all, an influence on their college age son (John Beal) who is exposed and banished.
Of course, with any film dealing with wartime propaganda, at times, it is going to seem melodramatic or over-the-top, but the war years were filled with many tragic elements that fortunately didn't touch American soil outside the Japanese detention camps. The hard-working European farmers and merchants suffered greatly at the hands of German and Italian invaders, so there is no need for subtlety. Other movies have presented similar themes (my other favorite being 1940's "The Mortal Storm"), but "Edge of Darkness" is certainly one of the most riveting with its brilliant characterizations and often nuanced portrayals even of individual Nazi's. Case in point, Judith Anderson's love for a German soldier that isn't presented as betrayal, but does create conflict for her in the fact that the invasion of their town took her father's life. For this reason, she has become sort of a "Madame DeFarge" like character, although in this case, she isn't as vile. Her affections for both Flynn and Sheridan add a charming touch to her tough on the outside, pure sentiment on the inside, character, and for me, she's the most interesting of all the villagers.
On the Nazi side, there's Helmut Dantine as the invading captain, a mess of a man who can't bear to listen to the anti-German tirades of various townspeople, particularly an aging professor whom he listens to as if he knows its the truth but just can't face it because of some sort of doomed destiny. He has a Norwegian mistress (Nancy Coleman) who is ill defined as a character, and I cringed a bit when she makes her final statement starting with "I would like to make a speech". Another apparent Nazi is really an ally plant who risks his life several times in his efforts to help the townsfolk. When tragic circumstances strikes Sheridan, Huston takes things into his own hands which culminates with a seemingly deadly result, and by this time, the Nazi's are worse monsters than anything that came out of Universal's stable of creatures.
Excellent direction by "All Quiet on the Western Front's" Lewis Milestone holds everything together, and the screenplay by future director Robert Rossen (based on a novel by William Wods) is brilliant with only a few minor exceptions. Sid Hickox's photography is striking, and the music by Franz Waxman draws the viewer in emotionally from the time the opening credits roll. I only had issues with some of the cut away photo shots between the resistance and the Nazi's which made it seem that they were closer to each other than they obviously were. I could just see this being played in the movie theater in 1943 with audience members hissing every time the Nazi's did something despicable and large rounds of applause when they got their come-uppance. For that reason alone, this stands the test of time, because every time I have watched this (which has been many), I find myself wanting to do the same thing.