In 2022, Netflix brought “All Quiet on the Western Front” to tell the true events of the First World War, and until 2023 comes to the streaming platform “Narvik”, a drama set in the Second World War.
The Erik Skjoldbjærg-directed film is set in the spring of 1940 as Hitler’s forces advance across Europe and focuses on how the conflict in Narvik, Norway affects the Tofte family.
The family consists of Gunnar (Carl Martin Eggesbø), who is sent to war. His wife Ingrid (Kristine Hartgen), who is used as a translator by the Narvik passengers. and his son Ole (Christoph Gelfert Mathiesen).
Similar to what the Netflix series “Women at War” did, inspired by real events of war, the drama shows how war affects people and how far they are willing to go to protect the city and their loved ones.
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‘Narvik’: true story of the Netflix movie
As the film shows, German forces began their occupation of Norway in 1940, and Narvik was the site of the biggest battle on Norwegian soil, with many villagers faced with the choice of cooperation or resistance.
Although the Tofte family in the film did not exist in real life, they are based on many stories of Norwegian families caught up in the Battle of Narvik and for the next several years in World War II.
Back then, Norway was still neutral, so the citizens were just trying to survive the German occupation of the city, which was strategically important as the closest ice-free port to the Swedish iron mines.
The Battle of Narvik in which Allied troops attempted to recapture the city was fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940 and in those 62 days 64 ships were sunk, 86 planes were shot down and 8,500 soldiers lost their lives.
The blizzards, the cold, and the lack of equipment and supplies affected both the Germans and the Allies. However, the Norwegian, French, English and Polish troops managed to emerge victorious.
This is considered Adolf Hitler’s first defeat of World War II, although the celebration only lasted a few days as France and Britain had to withdraw their forces, leaving Narvik vulnerable.
As mentioned at the end of the film, in 1940 German bombers attacked the town and left it in ruins, although the people managed to evacuate earlier thanks to the action of fishing boats.
Norway had to surrender to Germany and was occupied until the end of the war in 1995. The movie ‘Narvik’ is available on Netflix from January 23, 2023.
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Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
