MAX MANUS

Norway, 2008, 118 minutes, Colour.
Aksel Hennie, Ken Duken, Nicolai Cleve Brock.
Directed by Joachim Roenning and Esben Sandberg.

World War II Resistance movements. There have been quite a number as subject of films in recent times, Flame and Citroen (Denmark), L'Armee du Crime (France), Katyn (Poland), even Tarantino's imaginative history, Inglourious Basterds. Now Max Manus, one of the most decorated of Norway's war heroes. This film has been very popular in Norway – and could travel well.

We accompany Max as a 25 year old fighting against the Russians in Finland in 1940. When the Finns are defeated, as is the Norwegian army, he becomes active in the Resistance. A group of young men show extraordinary skills in sabotage, especially blowing up the Employment Office in broad daylight. Max emerges as the leader. Even when he is arrested in his home, he leaps from his second storey window, and survives. He also escapes from hospital, continuing his work despite the deaths of so many friends. The urbane head of the Gestapo makes it a goal to capture Manus.

Moving between Sweden and Norway, Max brings his action to completion with the sabotaging of an arms and troops ship not long before the war ends.

The film continues after the end of the war, giving the screenplay and the audience an opportunity to reflect on the effect of the war on its heroes and how they deal with peacetime after devoting so much energy and idealism to the waging of a resistance war. Max Manus lived until 1996. Aksel Hennie as Max leads a fine cast in a film which is both history and tribute.

1.Resistance stories? World War Two? The pattern of earlier films? In the early 21st century? The reason for going back to this period? Relevance?

2.The role of Norway, Norwegians fighting in Finland against the Russians, their defeat, the Nazi invasion, fighting the Nazis, the experience of the occupation, the Resistance? The facts of the period? The film as fact-based?

3.The period, the snow and the war (and the flashbacks of action)? Oslo, the city, Stockholm? Normal, homes, streets, bars and buildings? The official buildings? The wintry countryside? The wharves and docks? The musical score?

4.The introduction to Max, his age, fighting in Finland, his heroism? A born warrior? His ideals, causes, action? His being wounded? His comment on his dreams?

5.Going to Oslo, becoming the leader of the Resistance, the group of friends, the bonds between them, setting up arms stacks, their plans? The visualising of their sabotage? Blowing up the unemployment office? Having to escape quickly?

6.The homes, Max at home, the arrest, his leaping from the window, hospitalised?

7.In hospital, the nurse, the doctor, their help, organising his escape, his punching the nurse? The SS not believing her?

8.The SS, the leader, the different culture, the work with the local police, his anger, his quest for getting Manus? Later seeing him torturing prisoners?

9.The different friends of Max, their personalities? The close friendship with Gregors? With Tallak? With Gunnar? The others? Their participation in the action, relaxing after action, their concerns, some of them dying, shot in the streets? Survivors?

10.The role of Sweden, neutrality, Max going to Sweden, reinforcements, his luck and escapes? The battles?

11.His meeting Tikken, her listening, help, the bond between them, her being married, her absent husband and child? The end, urging him to go into action, recover from the war? The information that they later married and had a long married life?

12.1945, the German need for soldiers in the Ardennes? The rationale for blowing up the boat, the plan, disguised as electricians, their smart handling of difficult situations, eluding security? The bombs, their achievement – the visualising of the sunken boat?

13.Max and his determination, his confidence in himself, born for war? The end, his sadness, the people shouting and the parade? Alone, imagining his friends? His becoming a security guard? His going to meet the head of the SS, their discussion in prison, shaking hands? Tikken and her helping him to survive?

14.The information about Max Manus’s later life, his nerves and alcohol, his company, friends working for him? The decorations from the Norwegian government?