Gold Run

The Royal Norwegian government wasn't quite caught on the hop when the Nazis invaded when it came to evacuating some fifty tonnes of gold from their central bank. They had deputised Fredrik Haslund (Jon Øigarden) to get it onto as many trucks as he can get hold of and shift the whole lot up to Lillehammer where a train would take it further north and to an awaiting Royal Navy cruiser. When news of the attack comes, phase one of their operation goes remarkably smoothly - except, perhaps, for bank clerk Ingvar (Axel Bøyum). You see, there aren't enough lorries so he is sent out to get one - somehow. He alights on one belonging to a burly delivery man and next thing he has a split lip and a new travelling companion for his share of the bullion. Now in case you think this is all going to go straightforwardly then think again. Firstly, the bank manager in Lillehammer (Gard B. Eidsvold) is happy enough to secure his huge great deposit, but he won't open the door next morning without the proper authority - and neither Haslund nor accompanying Major Sunde (Eivind Sander) have that! Are they going to have to dynamite open their own safe? Meantime, the Reich aren't letting the grass grow and their determined Major Stoltmann (Anatole Taubman) is hard on their case - and he has access to lots of military hardware, some brutal interrogation techniques and some bombers too. What now ensues sees a series of real-life adventures occur as these brave characters try to get their nation's wealth to the safety of the Bank of England. The presentation is a little akin to a documentary but thanks to the characterisation of the (in triplicate) fastidiousness of Haslund, and to the often very chilly misadventures of the young Ingvar and his pal "Henry" (Sven Nordin) there is plenty of humour here too amidst all the peril, bombs and debris. It doesn't focus so much on the politics or the politicians, more on a series of more personal stories with a few observations from their acclaimed poet Nordahl Grieg (Morten Svartveit) for good measure too. Despite this being an history and us probably knowing the outcome, Hallvard Bræin keeps the pace moving well and the sense of jeopardy taut and unpredictable enough for us to overlook some of the obvious CGI. "Alt for Norge" as they say...