Edge of Darkness

Plot synopsis:
=== One: Compassionate Leave ===
Yorkshire police officer Ronald Craven (Bob Peck) is returning home with his daughter Emma (Joanne Whalley) having picked her up from a meeting of an environmental organisation at her university campus. On the doorstep of their home Emma is shot dead. The police concentrate their effort on the theory that her murder was a botched attempt on Craven's life by a criminal he had been responsible for convicting. However, as Craven goes through Emma's belongings, he discovers a geiger counter and a gun. He also learns that Emma's body and her possessions are radioactive. Travelling to London to assist with the inquiry, he is contacted by Pendleton (Charles Kay), a polished official “attached to the Prime Minister's office”, who informs him that Emma was known to them as a terrorist and that it may have been her, not Craven, who was the gunman's target.
=== Two: Into The Shadows ===
As he continues his investigations, Craven is visited by Emma's ghost. The fingerprints on the getaway car used by Emma's killer match that of Lowe, a man Craven arrested ten years previously. Meanwhile, Pendleton takes Craven to meet his colleague, Harcourt (Ian McNeice), who informs him that Emma was a member of a subversive anti-nuclear group called GAIA. A team of six GAIA members, led by Emma, had broken into a low level radioactive waste facility at Northmoor; all are now either dead or missing. After Craven makes a televised appeal for information about Emma's killer, he is contacted by CIA agent Darius Jedburgh (Joe Don Baker), an associate of Harcourt and Pendleton. Jedburgh shows Craven the CIA's file on Emma's activities: GAIA had become suspicious of Northmoor when a nearby reservoir had become contaminated with radioactive material, an occurrence that had also alerted the CIA, leading them to believe Northmoor was illegally storing plutonium. Jedburgh is played as a hard-bitten professional with a wry sense of humour and a passion for ballroom dancing. Along with Harcourt and Pendleton, he is keen to find the source and purpose of the plutonium.
=== Three: Burden Of Proof ===
The police close in on their suspect, Lowe (Roy Heather), who is severely injured in a fall while trying to escape. Dying, he tells Craven he was working with McCroon, a terrorist Craven had had convicted in Northern Ireland. Emma's boyfriend, Terry Shields (Tim McInnerny), tells Craven that she was investigating a hot cell in Northmoor; he is later killed. Craven meets Harcourt and Pendleton at the House of Commons where an inquiry is taking place into the sale of International Irradiated Fuels (IIF) – Northmoor's owners – to the Fusion Corporation of Kansas, owned by Jerry Grogan (Kenneth Nelson). Pendleton tells Craven that he believes Grogan was behind Emma's death. Returning to Yorkshire for Emma's funeral, Craven is refused permission to seek a warrant to enter Northmoor. Returning home, he is observed by McCroon (Sean Caffrey).
=== Four: Breakthrough ===
McCroon breaks into Craven's house intent on killing him. Craven demands McCroon tell him who he is working for but McCroon is shot by a police marksman before he can say anything. Through a contact of Mac (Struan Roger), a colleague from his time in Northern Ireland, Craven gains access to a terminal connected to the MI5 computer. He checks the MI5 records for GAIA, Northmoor and Emma and learns that McCroon was acting on the orders of Northmoor Security. He also obtains a three-dimensional map of Northmoor from the computer. Craven contacts Jedburgh and asks him to accompany him inside Northmoor.
=== Five: Northmoor ===
Craven and Jedburgh penetrate Northmoor and discover the hot cell which has been sealed off following an explosion - a consequence of GAIA's attempted break-in. Jedburgh, under orders from the CIA, enters the hot cell and steals the plutonium. At the House of Commons inquiry, IIF chief executive Robert Bennett (Hugh Fraser) is forced to admit the presence of plutonium at Northmoor and the deaths of the GAIA team.
=== Six: Fusion ===
Craven and Jedburgh escape Northmoor but both are dying from radiation poisoning. Jedburgh makes for the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, which is hosting a NATO conference on directed energy weapons. Also present at the conference is Grogan who announces that the British government has approved the purchase of IIF and speaks with cold passion of harnessing the power of the atom to conquer the galaxy. The audience of military and civilian officials applauds but Jedburgh in U.S. uniform takes the dais to denounce nuclear proliferation and a vainglorious crusade amongst the stars. He finishes by bringing together two bars of plutonium he has removed from Northmoor, causing a criticality accident and irradiating himself and the nearby Grogan.
Emma's ghost appears to Craven and tells him of a time when black flowers grew, warming the Earth and preventing life from becoming extinct. She tells him that the black flowers have returned and will melt the polar icecaps, destroying mankind so that life can continue. Craven goes to dissuade Jedburgh from the next step in his plan, which is to cause a nuclear explosion in Scotland with the rest of the plutonium. He succeeds, though the secret service follow him and kill Jedburgh. Craven, like Jedburgh and Grogan fatally exposed to radiation, wanders into the mountains to die, calling Emma's name. On the mountains, as Emma predicted, the black flowers are growing, foreshadowing the planet's war against humanity.

Tags: romantic, murder

Review:
For those who haven't seen this film the message was an excerpt from a speech he made probably in late 1940 or 41, and it refers to the resistance of the people of Norway to the occupation by the Nazis.
One of the things that all of the films about Norway during World War II fail to mention is why the Nazis were there in the first place.
He's a fisherman, but his natural qualities of leadership come through as he leads the resistance.Edge of Darkness is the story of one coastal Norwegian village who put up with Nazi occupation beyond what was humanly bearable.
Edge of Darkness is a study of the various townspeople and the way each one of them deals with the Nazi occupation.Walter Huston and Ruth Gordon are the parents of Sheridan and John Beal.
He's the kind of villain you love to hate as is Helmut Dantine the commanding officer of the Nazi garrison.We learn Dingle's fate at the beginning of the film and as the action unfolds in flashback the audience really rejoices in that fate.No mistake about it, Edge of Darkness is a World War II propaganda film, but still entertaining today.
One interesting thing here as the movie's nominal star, Errol Flynn (playing a Norwegian named Gunnar (!) ), takes a back seat to riveting and magnificent performances by the supporting cast.
The story of a revolt brewing against Nazi occupiers by the people of a Norwegian fishing village, scripted by Robert Rossen, is reeled out in Milestone's fluid, sensuous cinematic style with spellbinding suspense from beginning to end.
Thanks to consummate acting skill, Rossen's intelligent script, and Milestone's precise direction, you will come to know these characters as well as your neighbors by the shattering end of this two hour movie.Franz Waxman's florid score themed on Martin Luther's stirring hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is My God" with snatches from Wagner sweeps the action along to a rousing climax.Sid Hickox is credited for the sublime cinematography, but as I have stated elsewhere (see my review of The General Died At Dawn), Milestone's graphic statement was the same no matter who was behind the camera or in the editing room.
Ann Sheridan, Nancy Colman, and Dame Judith Anderson all bring vividly to life the choices women are forced to make during an occupation, and Walter Huston, Helmut Dantine, John Beal, and Morris Carnovsky are equally memorable in their roles.
"The Edge of Darkness" is a 1943 propaganda film about a Norwegian fishing village rising up to fight the Nazis.
The cast is excellent, top-notch all the way: Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston, Ruth Gordon, John Beal, Helmut Dantine, Judith Anderson and Morris Carnovsky.
It's probably not at the top of everyone's list because it was released while Errol Flynn was fighting statutory rape charges, which was a distraction to audiences, certainly, and also because it followed "Casablanca." Norway was dragged into the World War II conflict because Hitler was very concerned about protecting the Norwegian shoreline so that the Russians could not receive supplies if they joined the Allies.
In the story, the village is being occupied by the Nazis, who are taking the people's shipments of basic necessities and oppressing the entire town by their very presence - curfews, patrols, and the commandeering of the local hotel as their base.
I'm sure when audiences left the theaters, they often were energized and it gave them a sense that "we're all in this together".Errol Flynn is cast in the lead as a Norwegian patriot who is slowly and very covertly trying to plan for a rebellion against their Nazi overlords.
This was a good decision, as the usual "comic relief" style of support is --replaced with a gritty yet believable group of actors.What I also liked about the film was that while the Nazis were very brutal and evil, they were not quite so over-the-top as they were in many propaganda films of the day.
Yes, they murdered and even raped, but the whole thing was handled more realistically than many films--the Germans were not parodied or ridiculous--making them all the more scary.The film ends with a terrific final confrontation scene between the Norwegians and the Nazis.
After two years under German rule , a small Norwegian fishing village rises up and revolts against the occupying Nazis .
A fisherman (Errol Flynn) along with his loyal fiancée (Ann Sheridan) leads the local (Walter Huston , Ruth Gordon , Judith Anderson and several others) underground movement against a Nazi nasty captain (Helmut Dantine).
The second part is quite starkly moving developing account of deeds that befall about the villagers and when they go into action.A surprisingly very strong version about Norwegian resistance with career-best interpretations from Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan .
Rating : Above average , the flick earned big high marks for its superb scenarios , credible acting and dramatic scenes .This War/drama is compellingly directed by Lewis Milestone , he was born in the Ukraine , but emigrated to America at 18 and he served in WWI becoming an assistant director on Army training films .
As he showed WWI , winning Academy Award for ¨All quiet on the western front¨ , and WWII such as ¨Purple heart¨ , ¨Halls of Montezuma¨ , ¨Edge and darkness¨ , the best of which is ¨A walk in the sun¨ with remarkable intensity at times and Korean war as ¨Pork Chop Hill¨ ; and directed several others excellent movies in different fields , dramas as ¨Of mice and men¨ , Noir cinema as ¨Strange love of Martha Ivers¨, adventure as ¨Mutiny on the Bount¨ and heist-comedy as ¨Ocean's eleven¨, among others.The picture is set during German invasion of Norway and subsequent Nazi conquest , the historical events are the following : The invasion began on April 9, 1940.
After that , Nazi conquest was completed with help some collaborators as the famous ¨Quisling¨ who was a Norwegian prime minister whose collaboration with the Nazis meant his name became a term meaning traitor and in this film is represented by the Walter Huston , Ruth Gordon's son , John Beal ..
There is the immediate plot, about an ally who was occupied by the Nazi Germans, and there is the wider allegory about ordinary people (the Americans watching the movie) rising up against true tyranny.
"Edge of Darkness" is set in a small Norwegian village during the time of the Nazi occupation of Norway.
The film examines the lives of the villagers and their resistance to the Nazis.Errol Flynn plays Gunnar Brogge, the accepted leader of the villagers.
Helmut Dantine is notable as the zealous Nazi commander and as is Charles Dingle as an opportunistic village business leader that labels himself as a "man of facts" and collaborates with the Nazis.While there are some interesting themes, characterizations and scenes like the church scene in the film's first half, the first half as a whole is somewhat plodding.
"Edge of Darkness" is a decent war-time film about opposition to Nazi repression..
EDGE OF DARKNESS reminds us that there are things worth fighting for, and that it's not shameful to unite against an oppressor, in this case the Third Reich.The deftly-written script pulls us into the story slowly, as two German airmen wonder why a Norwegian flag is flying over a town supposedly overrun with Nazis.
Early on, it seems that there's a strong possibility of the power of its story being diffused by the introduction of too many characters – despite an intriguing Gunga Din-like opening - but once all the main players are introduced the strength and suspense of the storyline shines through.The townspeople of a small Norwegian fishing village overcome a number of obstacles to covertly organise an armed rebellion against their Nazi masters with the aid of allied spies.
There is Walter Huston's kindly doctor who is unsure of the wisdom of an armed revolt (but slowly brought around to the cause), his feisty daughter (Ann Sheridan) and her fisherman boyfriend (Errol Flynn) who are at the forefront of the resistance, his son who, having once been seduced by Nazi rhetoric finds himself unable to break away from them now that the scales have fallen from his eyes, the cheap tramp who collaborates with the Nazis before seeing the light, the cowardly shopkeeper who overcomes his fear of his German tormentors, the wise (but misguided) schoolteacher who mistakenly believes one man making a stand can make a difference, and the kindly matriarch who simply wants to go to bed later like she used to.You'd think that such a roll call of characters might result in something formulaic, but writer Robert Rossen knits together the various strands of the story in such an accomplished way that you are drawn in from the start.
Nevertheless, Hollywood law decrees that he must meet the same fate as his comrades because the only good Nazi's a dead one – and all Nazis are cowards at heart.For all the familiar tropes of its genre, this Lewis Milestone film stands head and shoulders above most other films from this era, simply because it makes you care about the characters and delivers just as much action as it does propagandistic speeches.
The film begins with the showing of the total destruction of the town and then backtracks to the events that led to the local uprising by the people.Charles Dingle, who was so good as Bette Davis's suspicious brother in "The Little Foxes," is equally good as a Nazi collaborator.
It's a WWII tale of Norwegian resistance and it's given Grade A treatment from the studio with some eye-popping camera work under the inspired direction of Lewis Milestone.WALTER HUSTON is a doctor, at first reluctant to show fierce opposition to the cause; RUTH GORDON is his worried wife; JUDITH ANDERSON is a strong-willed resistance fighter who is also resisting the advances of a Nazi officer; HELMUT DANTINE is once again cast as a hateful Nazi who knows when he's outnumbered; NANCY COLEMAN is his neurotic sweetheart who wants to break away from the Nazi environment and return to Poland; CHARLES DINGLE is the wealthy man who owns the cannery and goes insane when he witnesses the slaughter his village falls prey to.The drawback is the obvious propaganda tone and overly melodramatic scenes of brutality strongly contrasted by the heroics of the townspeople, including the village pastor.
Directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Errol Flynn, Walter Huston, Ann Sheridan & Ruth Gordon.
If you do decide to watch this extremely upsetting, dark war movie, do yourself a favor and fast-forward for about five minutes before pressing play.In a small Norwegian fishing village, the Nazis think they've got everyone under control.
Errol Flynn is the star here, but his part is actually minor in the context of this panoramic insight into a small Norwegian fishing village in the far north of Norway and its villagers, their life under duress of the Germans and how an extreme conflict is unavoidable.
It was made in the most critical year of World War II, when the Germans at the height of their power started to lose.There are many memorable and eloquent scenes here, well up to the highest standard of Lewis Milestone's works, like the great scene in the church, when the villagers are having a conference under cover of a Sunday service, which actually introduces the drama.
Errol Flynn disappears almost entirely in this great drama of the necessity of at any cost resisting and fighting any foreign occupational force.It's a great film in spite of its tremendous bathos of exaggerations, and although in the beginning you encounter a village where everyone seems to have wiped out everyone, it's extremely interesting to see how this drama gradually evolves to its apocalyptic fatality.The music by Franz Waxman adds to it, making efficient use of the Norwegian national anthem, a Lutheran hymn and of course Siegfried's death by Wagner..
Another classic war movie from Milestone--and starring Errol Flynn, no doubt!.
I have always wondered how it must have felt to make a 'wartime' movie about a war you're currently living in, and lately I stumbled upon a quintet of films made during the Second World War with Errol Flynn, of all people, battling the Nazis.
Because of it both being by Turner Classic Movies AND had one film directed by Lewis Milestone (with one of the finest anti-war statements ever made, 'All Quiet on the Western Front', under his belt) and the others by none other than Raoul Walsh, I was, pardon the pun, 'in like Flynn'.
But this was weird for a war film (looking at the resistance put up by a village of 800 Norwegians) bizarrely cast (with Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson and Ruth Gordon--all as the GOOD guys!), and had taped speeches by BOTH Churchill and Roosevelt.
Made during the middle of WW2, "Edge of Darkness" tells how the Norwegian citizens of Trollness, led by a resistance fighter played by Errol Flynn, rose up and liberated themselves from their Nazi oppressors.Although the film is probably as close to real events as "Cowboys vs.
This mixture gives the film a somewhat mythical quality; we are drawn into the isolated, almost claustrophobic world of Trollness, where the battle, physical and ideological, is fought between the Norwegians and the Germans.These days we accept Errol Flynn as a far better actor than was probably acknowledged back then when his activities in the bedroom seemed to blur any appreciation of his talent.
Much of the action is filmed with the same brilliant tracking shots director Lewis Milestone used in "All Quiet on the Western Front" especially as the Norwegians advance against the German machine guns or fight them hand-to-hand in the streets.There are many dramatic speeches in the film.
The film then goes into flashback to describe the events that have led to this moment.There are pockets of resistance in the village that Nazi Captain Helmut Dantine (Koenig) has to contend with – small scale stuff but a continuous presence and fisherman Errol Flynn (Gunnar) and doctor's daughter Ann Sheridan (Karen) are usual suspects.
The heroic resistance of the occupied Norway attracted, for some reason, a fair amount of interest, in "The Commandos Strike At Dawn,""The Moon Is Down," and "Edge of Darkness."Lewis Milestone, who has made the pacifist "All Quiet on the Western Front, is a key figure in crusading films about war..His "Edge of Darkness" is a brave and interesting film ,and a touching tribute to Norwegian courage during the Nazi occupation...The characterization is cleverly drawn: Errol Flynn, the fisherman who assumes command of the resistance in his small Norwegian village; Ann Sheridan, the willful and obstinate daughter of the respected physician Walter Huston who didn't want to know but is led inexorably to aid the resistance after his innocent daughter is brutally raped by a German soldier; Ruth Gordon, his shy retiring wife, as the neurotic mother who lives in dreams of the past; her greedy brother, the opportunistic businessman Charles Dingle who owns the cannery which employs most of the villagers, a traitor who "deals in facts...
Accompanying this visuals, we hear a historic FDR speech, featuring the plight of the Norwegians, along with a stirring final rendering of the recurring Luther hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" in the background, making the resistance against the Nazis seem more like a 'holy war' against the forces of evil.
Koenig and his men they lead by Norwegian freedom fighter Gunnar Brogge, Errol Flynn, broke open the boxes of guns and ammunition that they got from the British and planned to have the German run out of town once and for all.
It's wasn't until after Gunner's girlfriend Karen Stensgard, Ann Sheridan, was assaulted and raped, off camera, by a horny German soldier who had the hots for her for some time that he finally got it, and the men and women of the town, all together and revolted against the Germans.It's when Gunnar himself and the leaders of Trollness were rounded up and forced to dig their own graves by the Germans that had the townspeople lead by the peace loving father of Karen Dr. Stensgard, Walter Huston, and town towns ultra-passive Paster Aalesen, Richard Prasen, take to the streets.What's makes "Edge of Darkness" a cut above your average war-time propaganda movie is that it keeps the action off the screen until the last fifteen or so minutes.
As good a World War II propaganda film as there is, emphasis on evil Nazis.
It's about the struggle against the Nazi occupation in Norway during World War II in the spring of 1942.Despite the fact that it's primarily a propaganda film, it's a very good drama which features solid performances by several of the more popular Warner Bros.
stars in their day, including: Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston, Helmut Dantine, Judith Anderson, and Ruth Gordon, among others.It's May 28, 1942 and a German patrol plane flies over a small fishing community in Norway.
In 1943 the Nazis were still far from beaten and this film shows the defiance of ordinary Norwegians against a brutal oppressor.Errol Flynn isn't somebody who many people would think of to play a Norwegian.
He provides his usual heroic performance, albeit more understated than normal, and shows the sort of determination that many people were showing in real life at the time to defeat the Nazis.The ending is good especially when the German captain played by Helmut Dantine shoots himself.
This was meant to show that by fighting back against the Nazis they could crack.An undoubted propaganda film made at a time when the war was still not definitely decided I thought it was very good at getting the message across that there was at least light at the end of the tunnel in the fight to rid the world of Nazism..