Gripping war propaganda, swooning with stardust, talent, and originality. A WWII German patrol boat sails into a Norwegian port to discover that the whole German occupation force and the citizens of the town lie dead, apparently killed in a bloody battle that ended with the Norwegian flag
flying over the invaders' garrison. In flashback, we see the events leading up to the slaughter.
Flynn stars as a Norwegian fisherman who leads the local underground movement with Sheridan, his brave and loyal fiancee; Anderson is a fiery innkeeper who becomes enraged when Nazis murder her husband; and Huston, Sheridan's father, is a highly respected doctor hesitant to join the resistance
movement. His wife, Gordon, is a shy, frightened woman, and his son, Beal, a collaborator. All live under the baleful eye of Dantine, the brutal German captain determined to retain control of the town.
An insightful look at the workings of a resistance movement, EDGE OF DARKNESS calls to mind Renoir's picture THIS LAND IS MINE, released the same year. The great Morris Carnovsky, playing an aged schoolmaster, stands out, pitting legendary talent against Dantine's hammy acting. leave a comment