Arctic Convoy - Todesfalle Eismeer

If you're into the history of naval convoys during WWII, this film will hit the right notes. But if you're expecting a non-stop action-packed war movie, you might want to look elsewhere. The Norwegians made The Arctic Convoy as a tribute to their civilian sailors (and others), and they did an excellent job. Sure, they couldn't resist dramatizing some scenes unnecessarily (like the overly intense setup for the Bofors gun), which had me leaning towards a four-star rating. But the message behind the film was so powerful that I didn't want to nitpick. Convoy PQ 17 was an utter disaster, not because of the Royal Navy, but due to First Sea Lord Sir Dudley Pound. Admirals and captains reluctantly followed his orders with disbelief. Until this point, the British Navy had never shied away from a fight, especially if it served a greater purpose. But here, Pound deemed his ships too valuable for battle and essentially sent civilian sailors into a death trap. Sure, he was under pressure, but so was Chamberlain in his time, and we know how that turned out. This film does an incredible job of capturing the atmosphere and showing what life was like for the crew of a merchant ship. It wasn’t just about dodging torpedoes from submarines or bombs from planes—it was the constant fear of what could happen that must have been unbearable. That lingering paranoia was probably the hardest thing to endure. Four stars for the film, and a fifth for all the civilian sailors who helped win the war across every sea and ocean. / Lesson learned: If things seem hopeless, they can only get better from there. (19.10.2024)