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Author Topic: "Shetlandsgjengen"  (Read 2862 times)

Offline Plynkes

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"Shetlandsgjengen"
« on: November 26, 2007, 08:23:59 PM »
Has anybody ever seen this film? I'm sure I've never seen it shown in the UK, but maybe some of our European friends have seen it?

It's about the "Shetland Bus", the clandestine route (which operated out of the Shetland Isles) in and out of Nazi-occupied Norway for Allied agents, which utilised escaped Norwegian fishing boats and their crews, who risked (and lost in many cases) their lives to continue the fight against Hitler.


Memorial to those killed on the Shetland Bus.


I was watching the excellent BBC programme "Coast" the other night. It is a show that takes a journey around the entire coast of Britain, describing the geography, wildlife, history, etc. of each place visited along the seashore. It was about Orkney and Shetland this time, and they covered the Shetland Bus, and showed some clips from this 1950s Norwegian film, in which a boat was defending itself from German air attack (with Lewis Guns and other cool toys like that). It looked pretty good, actually. Maybe even good enough to form some gaming ideas from...

Unfortunately, the film doesn't seem to be available to buy in any format, and the chances of it ever being shown over here are about nil. While we occasionally get famous French and German stuff (Jean de Florette, Delicatessen, Heimat, Das Boot, etc.) the only Scandinavian cinema I have ever seen on TV is a very rare showing of some Ingmar Bergman thing with Max von Sydow, shown in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep.

This is a shame, and I would like to see this film, as it covers an almost forgotten part of World War Two, the participants in which sacrificed just as much as those whose activities were more Hollywood-friendly.

For more on the Shetland Bus:
http://shetlopedia.com/The_Shetland_Bus

http://shetlopedia.com/The_Shetland_Bus_Boats

IMDB "Shetlandsgjengen" page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049808/
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Offline Hammers

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"Shetlandsgjengen"
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2007, 10:22:50 PM »
Unlike Sweden, Denmark*), Norway is not terribly well know for its film production. This one looks like it could be good. It seems to be available  on DVD. I'll keep an eye out for it.


 *)and to some degree Finland which has made a few excellent war movies. See Helens posts on the Winter War. Aslo, a couple of rather good, Kurusawa-like, viking movies has come out of Iceland.

Offline WillieB

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"Shetlandsgjengen"
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2007, 10:33:58 PM »
Absolutely true.

On top of that some of the very best war movies don't get the publicity they deserve.

In case you haven't seen it yet, another Norvegian film 'The Last Lieutenant' is also quite good. Not much action but a very realistic view on Norway during the occupation.

Shetlandsgjengen is not available right now alas.

One of my all time favourites is 'Talvisota' a Finnish film that can easily compare with the best Holywood ever offered.

Rukajarven Tie (Ambush) is in a another gripping film about a Finnish bicycle platoon that ends up behind the Russian lines. Sam Peckinpah would be proud of the final combat scene.
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Offline Plynkes

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"Shetlandsgjengen"
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2007, 11:10:59 PM »
I just noticed that on the cast list almost everybody is playing "himself", including the famous Shetlands-Larsen. So if you ever get to see the film, you are watching the real Shetland Bus boys, not actors.

(I hope that doesn't mean their acting is rubbish!)

Offline Boggler

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"Shetlandsgjengen"
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2007, 12:13:36 PM »
There's a good book about the Shetland Bus that I read ages ago. I'll see if I can dig out the title / author.

 

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