The King's Choice | NON-UK Format | Region 4 Import - Australia [DVD]

German warships are in Norwegian waters, having quietly sailed into them under cover of darkness in the wee hours of 9 April 1940. They have failed to identify themselves by design, their presence off the southern coast unauthorised, a breach of Norwegian sovereignty and neutrality. But violation of international law and norms is part of Hitler’s playbook. The Nazis are invading Norway in order to occupy it and make their own laws, bending the international community to their will. Might makes right.What do they want in Norway? Two things, mainly. First, the country’s long, strategic coastline that faces the North Sea and Britain beyond to the west. And second, Norway’s abundant supply of iron ore to feed their insatiable war machine. Though not mentioned in the film, they will also use Norway as the site of their own version of the Manhattan Project, producing heavy water there to develop, they hope, the world’s first nuclear weapon. German failure can sometimes be a beautiful thing.The build-up is tense. In one scene Oslo is viewed from a high lookout point, the entire city brightly lit at night. In the next shot blankness and emptiness, lights throughout the city turned off — a total blackout. The city would like to hide if it could.The main German envoy to Norway is a diplomat named Curt Bräuer. His task is to persuade Norwegian King Haakon VII and his parliamentary cabinet to accept the terms of German control of Norway. Bräuer hands a copy of Hitler’s written demand to Halvdan Koht, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs.Bräuer to Minister Koht:“On behalf of the Führer I convey this offer to the government of Norway. We have come to defend Norway against imminent British invasion. Our expectation is that no resistance is offered.”Both men know this to be a lie, though neither is prepared to acknowledge it openly, Bräuer for the sake of expedience, Koht for the sake of sovereignty and pride — a pride that will concede nothing to the Germans.Searchlights along the shore south of Oslo sweep across the surface of the sea, confirming the silhouettes of approaching ships. These dark ships, silent and ominous, loom like leviathans. A Norwegian colonel named Birger Eriksen is in charge of a battery of heavy guns at a fortress on the coast. Into the darkened mists he trains his field glasses, straining to make out the shapes. Finally, at 1,200 metres, one is clear enough (the battleship Blücher, it turns out). He gives the signal to fire. Heavy Gun no. 1 roars: a brilliant orange flash, smoke, massive recoil. The target is hit, the German warship ablaze. The command for a second blast is given. Gun no. 2 fires. A second concussion, another direct hit. The warship burns, a surreal sight, perhaps like one of J.M.W. Turner’s beautiful burning ships at sea — fiery reds, oranges and yellows against the backdrop of the blackened sky and sea. Then two torpedoes finish her off, sending the Blücher to the bottom. Round One thus goes to the Norwegians, but the fight will be short, outmanned and outgunned as the Norse men are against the Nazi aggressors.Foreign Minister Koht holds an emergency meeting with the cabinet regarding Hitler’s ultimatum. The minister emerges from the meeting to tell German envoy Bräuer this:“Norway is a sovereign nation. Were we to accede to Germany’s demands, we would not be. Our answer must therefore be ‘no’.”In return, Bräuer:“You know what this means.”Minister Koht:“Your Führer said: ‘A nation that yields to a foreign oppressor does not deserve to live’. We will not yield voluntarily.”The stage is therefore set for a showdown. The honour of Norway as a nation and the king’s sovereignty over it — a sovereignty made by a covenant with the people who placed him in power — is at stake. So the story in some ways is less about war and warfare than morality and high principles, particularly those that honour and protect freedom, independence, autonomy and self-government. Norway will not yield unless the king decrees it, as authority is vested in him. The cabinet can only ratify what he decides. So the question on which the drama and history hinges:What will be the king’s choice?The Nazis for their part will not be denied, a bloodbath ensured for Norway if it does not surrender. How then can the impasse be broken if the king should remain resolute and defiant in his opposition? The answer: Nazi installation of a Norwegian puppet to fill the political vacuum made by the crisis. That puppet was Vidkum Quisling, a modern Judas whose name is now synonymous with treachery and betrayal. Found guilty of treason by the Norwegian High Court at the end of the war, he was dispatched by a firing squad in October 1945. Justified frontier justice one might say.The Germans are landing at cities all along the west coast: at Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim. Oslo to the southeast is in immediate danger as well as the stormtroopers disembark. The king and his family are awoken at 4:00 a.m. at Elverum, the royal palace in Oslo. The royal family and cabinet must pack quickly. Cars are waiting outside. A special unscheduled train stands ready for departure at 5:30 in Oslo Station. They must hurry. But the king lingers, unable to let go and leave, gazing at objects in the palace. His grown son Crown Prince Olav says to him:“Father, just because we are leaving now does not mean we will never return.”This statement does the trick. The king snaps out of it and, along with all the others, becomes an exile in his own kingdom. What humiliation and disgrace. What abject powerlessness. Even so, there are consolations. He loves his son, his son’s wife Martha and their three children, his only grandchildren. The world may be engulfed by hatred, but he is surrounded by love. His people revere him too. Everywhere he is saluted, bowed to, thanked. This isn’t a formality, even if it looks to be. It is sincere affection, the honourable king honoured in his native land.The Norwegian winters are long, the snowdrifts still head-high in early April. The train speeds past these, moving deeper into a white world of evergreen forests and open pastureland. In the town of Hamar 100 kilometres north of Oslo the party stay for the night with several farming families. If the king and the others must flee even farther, they will. In the meantime, Curt Bräur, the German envoy in Oslo, is still seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis. Sincere or not, though, it hardly matters anymore, as it’s clear to us, if not to him, that he’s being played by Nazi High Command in Berlin. There will be no German diplomacy in Norway. Instead, the iron fist of martial law and a puppet government will rule.The story essentially becomes one of a hunt, that of the hunted and the hunters, the king and his entourage keeping a step ahead of their pursuers. Martha and the children escape to safety in neutral Sweden, a country politically stronger than Norway in its ability to maintain neutrality. They will be safe there, then eventually in the U.S., for the duration of the war. The king and his son Olav, heir to the throne, will escape to London where they’ll work closely with the Norwegian resistance based in Britain.The film is beautiful for the morality and courage it depicts, but also in several other ways. The script is honest and intelligent, the acting superb, the special effects brilliant, the soundtrack haunting in a minimalist way, ominous and foreboding. This is especially true when the German warships are reaching the coast of southern Norway. As tension in the music builds, we feel the threat and oncoming menace. I wanted to get up and lock the doors.If a finer Norwegian film has been made, I don’t know about it, this being the most beautiful I have seen. Five stars will do for it but there could easily be more. It should have won an Oscar but never mind, as Hollywood never was nor will be the measure of all things.

An interesting Norwegian film about the German invasion of Norway in 1940, and King Haakon VII and the royal family's role in the Norwegian government's negotiation with the Nazis.King Haakon performed an impressive role in refusing to legitimize the unelected Nazi imposed government, at great risk to himself, his family and the Norwegian people.When the King was presented with an almost impossible choice, he chose to do the right thing on principle. A useful reminder for us all how we should behave in life.

I really enjoyed this subtitled Norwegian language film. It tells the story of the German invasion of neutral Norway in 1940 and the political and constitutional turmoil caused by this act of aggression. Very well acted, there is a real sense of dread and tension as the Norwegians wait for the axe to fall. The King's frustration as he witnesses the fear and confusion of the government is very well portrayed, and his dilemma over whether to maintain his constitutional role or become active in decision making is very well done. His dignified stance in the face of others' willingness to capitulate is moving. The film ends with information on what happened to the main characters, which I found interesting. I highly recommend The King's Choice.

Interesting movie about the German attack on Norway in April 1940 focusing on the role of Norway's King. Although slightly less good overall than 'April 9th' I found this a good movie. Some of the scenes are amazing, for example when the Norwegian coastal artillery and torpedoes destroy the heavy cruiser 'Bluecher' as it tries to sneak into Oslo Fjord, or the brave resistance of Norwegian conscripts trying to stop German paratroopers in a nightly battle in the snow.As said, the focus is mostly on politics, following a German ambassador who tries to get Norway to 'approve' the German invasion, the Norwegian government's wavering, and the King's resolution. Pretty good movie, makes me want to read Geirr Haarr.

This understated film is captivating from beginning to end. And such an anecdote to the often over the top and very bloody WWII films. It's almost like a documentary in style yet manages to be hold your attention throughout. It's also very moving in parts, the King is a clearly wise, kind and honourable man who loves both his country and his family. Beautifully filmed and scored, highly recommend if you're looking for a more subtle and absorbing film on this awful part of history.

I bought the DVD as it showed it had English subtitles - it DIDN'T. I'm battling with cancer so I've no time or energy to return it, especially as there's no where to explain I need one WITH the subtitles.

I love this film and have watched it a number of times. Films about WW2 generally look from a US, British or French POV. Along with 'April 9th' this movie breaks the mould and shows the conflict from another view. Its superbly acted and produced. I only wish I could watch it without the sub titles but my Norwegian is sadly not good enough! That said I'd recommend it even with the sub titles, its a great film :)

Good story

before hearing about this movie from a YouTube history video on the subject i had NO IDEA Norway was invaded BEFORE France. then i found out Norway basically sunk or damaged a huge chunk of the Kreigsmarine and basically stopped any chance of an invasion of England before it had a chance.my favourite part of the movie was watching the flustered efforts of the German diplomat as he tries to carry out an impossible mission to SOMEHOW get Norway to surrender because he honestly believed in saving lives. it shwos very clearly that this poor guy had NOT been informed ahead of time of any invasion plans and he was just as upset and shocked as any of the actual Norwegians by what he clearly saw as a poorly though out preemptive invasion the ruined ANY CHANCE of other countries sticking to their neutrality.

I purchased this video as I have a great interest in history and particularly World War II. It relates the story of the incredible pressure on the Haakon VII, King of Norway, in 1940 to either resist or submit to Nazi demands to 'defend' Norway against the actions of the Franco-British alliance- essentially making the nation an occupied puppet. It also describes the relationship of the king to the elected parliament- that the king had no actual ruling power, having been selected by popular vote in 1905, when Norway selected constitutional monarchism as its form of government(Haakon himself actually being Danish, his brother being the King of Denmark- another nation 'protectively' occupied by the Nazis). Other aspects of the film include the sinking of the KMS Blucher to Norwegian coastal defenses, the evacuation of parliament and the royal family from Oslo and the extreme personal efforts of the German ambassador to Norway to try to avoid inevitable and needless death and destruction at the same to that the commanders of the German landing forces were actively trying to fix and destroy the Norwegian armed forces. One advisement: while there are some combat scenes included, this is not per se a 'war film', it focuses mostly on the personal emotional dilemma of the king and his decision to urge the Norwegian people to resist or not and the interplay of German diplomatic and military leadership- each with their own agenda. The acting is first rate, the production values were very high and I found the pacing excellent; it is a lengthy film but so well-done that I was half-holding my breath at times and didn't realize the time going by. The dialogue is in Norwegian with excellent English subtitles. I highly recommend this film for anyone desiring a recitation of a little-known aspect of history or even those just seeking a personal decision-making drama. Truly well-done.

Retraçant les premiers jours de l’agression allemande en avril 1940 et les atermoiements des Norvégiens qui ne savent sur quel pied danser (résister ou capituler immédiatement pour épargner des vies face à la machine de guerre nazie), ce film mériterait d'être davantage connu. Il se regarde facilement, les références historiques semblent correctes et cohérentes et la réalisation agréable. Un bon moment...

A semi-documentary; it is a very compelling account of the invasion of Norway by the Germans. The movie contained a historical time line, with moments involving a reenactment of political events combined with the story of preservation of a sovereign society in the face of adversity... it is a historical but also a human interest story. A longish movie and you would have to enjoy history, I think, to weather this movie.. The acting is superb. I rated it quite high because it is unusual and I enjoy social history.

This is a sleeper, not well known in North America, and could be called an 'Historical Documentary Drama' by it's style. Excellent production values, it follows the Nazi invasion of Norway in 1940 from King Haakon's perspective. Sound track is in Norwegian, and has English sub-titles. Watch the movie for a few times, and learn a new language! The fortress on the fjord is still there today, and was used during the filming.