An epic race through a chapter of the Second World War that remains largely unknown in North America, Max Manus recounts the life of one of Europe's most celebrated resistance fighters.
The film introduces its eponymous hero as he volunteers to fight alongside the Finnish forces in their battle against Russia, which is attempting to turn Finland into a protectorate. Shortly afterwards, his beloved Norway is invaded by Nazi Germany and quickly occupied. Max Manus and a few friends start a small rebel cell, committing sabotage and distributing leaflets denouncing the Nazi presence. But their group is swiftly apprehended and Manus is captured, eventually escaping by jumping from a second-storey window. Made an instant legend for this feat, he's recruited by a larger pan-national resistance movement run out of London.
It takes a smart film about the resistance to acknowledge that radical actions are most often taken by those with the least to lose. Manus and his cohorts are largely working-class youths when they first band together, with the lone exception of the chief propagandist. Manus himself is a complicated case. As the war progresses, he begins drinking more heavily, tortured by his own ability to survive as those around him, including his closest friends, are killed.
Aksel Hennie, one of Norway's most versatile actors, delivers a bravura performance as Manus. Initially, his Manus looks as if he'd be more comfortable on a farm, living a quiet life, but over time becomes increasingly feral, barely able to contain the rage inside him as his comrades fall while he continues to live.
That said, Max Manus is also a thriller, and its detailed account of sabotage techniques is relayed with skill and relish – especially a sequence featuring an attack on a huge supply tanker in Oslo harbour. The strength of its passion and storytelling have helped make Max Manus Norway's biggest domestic hit in more than a decade. On these shores, the film is destined to be acclaimed for the vigour of its characters and the visceral impact of its narrative.
Espen Sandbergand Joachim Roenning were born in Sandefjord, Norway, and both attended the Stockholm Film School. They have collaborated on hundreds of commercials under the professional name Roenberg. Together they have directed two feature films:
Bandidas (06) and
Max Manus (08).