1943’s Edge of Darkness begins with a Nazi fighter plane flying over Norway in the time they occupied the country. The pilots notice a building is flying the Norwegian flag and so a small fleet of ships is dispatched to investigate. On one of the boats, there is a conversation about the lack of smoke from the chimneys and whether it makes sense to fire upon the apparently uninhabited town: “We cannot fire, there is no smoke. ” “Then we will fire even without smoke.” But is there not the cliché that there is no smoke without fire? It’s like these guys are living in a zen koan.
Although there are no signs of life, the Norwegian flag is flying over the town and that won’t do. A small fleet of ships is sent to investigate and it is discovered the town is indeed bereft of life. Not that there aren’t people, exactly, it’s just none of them are alive. There are heaps of bodies everywhere and the visuals of this are still chilling today. In this regard, the film doesn’t pull any punches.
The body of the commandant (Helmut Dantine) who was overseeing the town is found in his office, as well as the journal he had been maintaining. From this, we will see in flashback the events which led to the mass slaughter.
We will start with the initial seizure of the town, where the occupying forces are informed of various potential troublemakers. among the populace. There’s Judith Anderson, who owns the local hotel, and it is shocking to not see her in a villainous performance (ala Rebecca’s Mrs. Danvers) for a change. Shopkeeper Roman Bohnen is itching for a chance to prove himself, even that means making himself a martyr. Fisherman Errol Flynn is a likely conduit to sneak weapons into the country and, indeed, he has a plan to get into the town some British guns being delivered by submarine. His girl is Ann Sheridan, and it is interesting how much action she gets to perform in a picture of an era where women’s roles tended to involve approximately 100% less shooting of Nazis.
Flynn learns of the British guns from a bleeding man who has arrived at his cabin. There’s a bit I like where Flynn conceals the man under a trapdoor in the floor. The soldiers that arrive notice blood on the floor, and Flynn distracts them by surreptitiously cutting his own arm and saying the blood was from that injury.
This town is a powder keg about to go off. There’s an intense meeting of the townsfolk at the church, where it is debated whether to fight the opposition. As Art Smith (who I always think of as the prison doctor in Brute Force) says, “The sacrifice of one village—what will that accomplish?” Still, most people are in favor of taking back their village.
Not everybody is on board with the plan. It seems most of the people who are not going to make waves are related to Sheridan. Go figure, they appear to be the wealthiest family in town. One isn’t inclined to rock the boat when one has it so comfy.
There’s Walter Huston as her father and the town doctor. Her mother is played by an impossibly young Ruth Gordon as somebody who prefers to remain oblivious to the bad things happening around her. Sheridan’s uncle is played by Charles Dingle as the owner of the cannery. He is probably the wealthiest man in town and has only benefited financially from the occupation. Her brother (John Beal) was one of the earliest collaborators with the Nazis and Dingle is glad to have him back in town.
Beal might have had a change of heart now that he has seen up close what the occupying forces are capable of. And the impetus to action for the other residents might be Morris Carnovsky’s old man who has refused to leave his home. In retaliation, the Nazis burn all his possessions in a big pile, then humiliate and kill him in the town square. I love the man’s spirit, as he died steadfast in his refusal to be afraid of his tormentors, as to do so would mean they have won.
Something deeply appalling which finally changes many minds is when a soldier rapes Sheridan. That word isn’t used, but it is obvious what has happened to her. Aside from this moment, her character has been completely in charge and has a surprising extent of agency for a film of this vintage. Even Flynn admits she is smarter than he is.
Another character of note I want to single out is Nancy Coleman, a Pole kept in relative luxury with the men at the hotel, but only because she is their one-woman “joy division”. She will prove to be very dangerous, as she detests the Nazis, yet it always on the lookout for whatever best ensures her survival, preferably in comfort.
Edge of Darkness is a so-so thriller which feels a bit off at all times. While noble in intent, it devolves at the end into a prolonged gunfight that made me realize why Casablanca doesn’t end with Rick, Ilsa and the others grabbing machine guns and liberating French Morocco. It also made me think how easily Star Wars could have been restaged as such a WWII-era film, what with both having Storm Troopers and one guy here actually exclaiming, “It’s a trap!” At least there won’t be anybody re-editing this: it will always be Sheridan who shoots first.
Dir: Lewis Milestone
Starring Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston
Watched on Warner Archive blu-ray