We call “War Sailor” “the Norwegian answer to Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk'” in our review. Starting today, you can stream the war drama on Netflix – but not in the theatrical version, but as a mini-series that is supposed to offer even more.
War Sailor was first released in German cinemas on 9 February 2023. Only a few months later, the fight for survival in World War II directed by Gunnar Vikene (“Kill Billy”) is now coming to Netflix. nThere is, however, one important difference: because “War Sailor” on Netflix is an extended mini-series version of the cinema film.
Although the cinema version is already 150 minutes long, the mini-series, consisting of three episodes, is to go into more depth. The announcement about it says that the series version will offer “greater scope for detail” so that “audiences from around the world will be able to experience the full story without the limitations that come with the feature film format. “
THIS IS WHAT “WAR SAILOR” IS ABOUT
When the Germans invade Norway in 1940, the Garnes family’s life falls apart. Father Alfred (Kristoffer Joner) is currently a sailor on a merchant ship, which is immediately instrumentalised for the war. Together with his best friend Sigbjørn (Pål Sverre Hagen) he fights for survival from now on. At home, Alfred’s wife Cecilia (Ine Marie Wilmann) and their children also try to survive the war somehow. A reunion of the family seems unlikely…
Director Gunnar Vikene developed two versions from the beginning. The cinema version was released first and has already met with a very positive response: it was submitted as the Norwegian entry for the 2023 Oscars. In the conclusion of our 3.5-star FILMSTARTS review, we praise that “the drama thickens in the second half into a grippingly staged and harrowing narrative about the difficulties of continuing to live”. In addition, we note that Vikene’s film “is distinctly reminiscent of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ in its raw naturalism and the feel of the images. “
With the power of the streaming service behind it, the series version available on Netflix should now reach a wider audience – especially in the many countries of the world where the film did not have a regular theatrical release at all.
Incidentally, “War Sailor” is the most expensive production in Norwegian history to date and was also made with German participation. The film was therefore partly shot in Hamburg, and the music was composed by Volker Bertelmann, who recently won an Oscar for “Nothing New in the West.
