Product Description

Copenhagen 1944. While the Danish population hopes for a swift end to the war, freedom fighters Bent Faurschou-Hviid, a.k.a. Flame and Jørgen Haagen Schmith, a.k.a. Citron, secretly put their lives at stake fighting for the Holger Danske resistance group. The fearless and uncompromising Flame is a confirmed anti-fascist and dreams of the day when the group will assemble and openly launch an armed counterattack at the occupying power. The more sensitive family man, Citron, used to work primarily as a driver for Flame, but now finds himself becoming more deeply involved in the group s work. When their immediate superior, Aksel Winther, orders them into action against two German Abwehr officers, events start to get out of hand. Flame engages in conversation with the talented and intelligent Colonel Gilbert and for first time, Flame calls the soundness of the order he is about to execute into question...Something feels terribly wrong. Furthermore, when suspicion turns to his girlfriend, the beautiful and mysterious courier, Ketty, Flame begins to spot the outline of a different and mostly hidden agenda. Can Ketty be trusted? Can Winther? And who really works for whom? While their doubts gnaw at them, Flame and Citron come to feel that they are on shaky ground. Desperate, disillusioned and with a sense of having been betrayed by their superiors, they decide only to trust each other and concentrate their efforts on getting to the much hated and feared chief of the Gestapo, Hoffmann. The film is based on actual events and eyewitness accounts from some of the people who experienced Bent Faurschou-Hviid and Jørgen Haagen Schmith at very close range.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #936 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-06-29
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 131 minutes

Synopsis
In this thriller set in World War II-era Copenhagen, two men put everything on the line in their fight against the Nazis. Bent Faurschou-Hviid, aka Flame (Thure Lindhardt, INTO THE WILD), is young and idealistic, while Jorgen Haagen Schmith, aka Citron (Mads Mikkelsen, CASINO ROYALE), is concerned about his family as his role in the resistance grows more prominent. As they get closer to attacking the head of the Gestapo (Christian Berkel, DOWNFALL), the men realize that they can only trust each other. Directed by Ole Christian Madsen, this Danish hit is based on true events.

Review
A moody, Munich-a-like tale of the Danish resistance --Empire

Review
Writer-Director Ole Christian Madsen delivers plenty of excitement --Total Film

Customer Reviews

Worthy account of Danish WWII Resistance heroes
Denmark's supposedly most expensive film to date proves to be a surprisingly interesting, complex, and in places even an exciting proposition. Based on the true story of two resistance fighters in Copenhagen in 1944 during the German occupation, we are introduced to Flame (committed and idealistic young killer of all things Nazi) and his driver, Citron, whose increasing involvement with the dirty end of the business mirrors the final collapse of his family life. They get their orders, they go and kill their targets. However, as the film progresses, the unthinkable happens - they begin to question the targets - is their handler doing the right thing? Is Flame's girlfriend being completely honest? Things begin to go horribly wrong, and Flame and Citron decide they need to follow their own path, choosing their own targets. Far from being a standard whitewashed history as told by the winners of war, this movie has no compunction about showing something rotten in the state of Denmark - and in so doing, allows a more complex look at what it takes to step up to a man or woman in their house or in the street, hold a gun to their head and pull the trigger, than has been seen in a long time.
It's a tad long, and yet is at times so complex you sometimes find yourself wondering what might have been left on the cutting room floor that might have filled in a few questions. Keeping track of who is who is challenging at times as the different resistance factions are not fully explained, and certain minor characters roles in the chain of command are not always clear.. but it's worth the concentration. Certainly the acting from the leads, as well as many of the secondary roles, is outstanding - we really do feel we scratch beneath the surface of the men - particularly Mads Mikkelson's Citron. Morality of war sometimes has more to it than just the war - and here we occasionally find the allies deep in moral ambiguity and corruption, and yet the Gestapo chief is the one with a decent side to him, respectfully covering the bodies of his enemies.
In short, this is well worth watching - a riveting story, a thriller, a tragic tale of war, a drama.. all in one. At times paradoxically beautifully shot, and full of detail, this might have achieved 5 star status with just a little more judicious editing. But that's a small quibble from the year's best war drama so far.

A superb film about Danish Resistance agents against the Nazis!
This is an excellent film about a Resistance to the Nazis during their occupation of Denmark.
It contains a very powerful message that not all Danes were collaborators or "Quislings".
Mads Mikkelsen and Thure Lindhardt are superb as Bent Flame and Jorgen Citron.
Mikkelsen can always be associated as playing "Le Chiffre" in James Bond 007 - Casino Royale but his performance in this film outshines 007!
Look out for Christian Berkel as the Gestapo Chief, Hoffmann.
One of the endings is particulary moving and very sad when an agent fights to the very last and never surrenders despite all the odds against him.
For those of you who love Scandinavian movies and stories be they true or not, Hollywood couldn't produce a movie like this!
I saw this movie in the cinema and decided I would buy it because it is so unique.

The big story of World War II in the small country of Denmark
This is one of the most expensive productions in danish film history, end the money sure is well spent.

For me it was a peak into the darker side of the story of the danish resistance movement. As it shows out, the heroes of the past often did'nt really know what they were doing. They just had to follow their guts.

The film is full of action, but stays in close contact with the historical facts.