'Into the Darkness' (2020), originally released as 'The Cursed Years', is a Danish film available on video on demand and I watched it on BookMyShow Stream. The movie is watchable with English subtitles.
The movie is set in the years of World War II and presents and intriguing story of a family which is torn apart by conflicting ideologies among its members.
Karl, the patriarch and his wife Eva are celebrating their wedding anniversary with sons, daughter and friends, when German warplanes pass through the sky announcing German occupation of Denmark. His son Michael, born out of previous marriage, and is disliked and given cold treatment by Eva, has taken military training and hence joins the World War II on German side, eventually getting critically injured by the end. Helene, their daughter, falls in love with a German Navy officer named Willi. Their son Aksel joins communists siding with Russia and fighting against German Nazis, while actually chasing a communist girl Liva (role played well by Kathrine Thorborg Johansen). The movie shows many Jews being taken away from Denmark to Germany and ending up in concentration camps while Danish people not fully aware of what was going on.
Despite set on WW-II, the movie does not show bloodshed and gets away with minimum action scenes which is to its credit. But what is captured very well during the course of the movie is impact of this war on the common Danish families, impact on young men and how they got swayed by joining forces on either side, and often ended up dead. The movie captures the impact of the great war on the Danish industries and the dilemma faced by the industrialists on whether to try to insulate themselves from the war, or join the German war machinery.
The deep acting displayed by Jesper Christensen playing Karl Skov is amazing to watch. Gustav Dyekjær Giese who played his son Michael Skov is my favorite from the movie. Bodil Jørgensen who played Eva Skov has done a really amazing job playing the extremes, at one side she is cold and subtly hurtful towards Michael and immensely loving towards her daughter Helene and son Aksel. The movie captures the emotions and aura of the moments very well. Even its dialogues are very good. Though I was not able to take any screenshots due to the restrictions put by BookMyShow due to whatever reason.
Overall, 'Into the Darkness' is a wonderful film showing the effect of devastating World War II on the lives of people in Denmark. It is highly recommended if you want to give this Danish film a try with English subtitles.
- Rahul
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