Nr. 24 - Movie Review

Nr. 24 is a narrative of Gunnar Sønsteby an apprentice who suddenly finds himself as one of the most pivotal personae in the Norwegian resistance movement when the Nazis from Germany invade the country. Full of courageous acts of terror and spying, Gunnar is among the most successful and famous members of the ‘Oslo-gang’, fighting for Norway. This is a documentary-drama which perfectly blends proven documentary style and elements of drama and biopic to add dramatic representation to the history of Norwegian WWII. It also discusses the issue of war morality, as well as a focus on the psychological and physical effects that war has on people. To sum up, the movie is rather tense and captivating, which helps the audience feel all the psychological battles of these heroes. Another aspect of the movie that makes it infiltrate the audience’s life-like is the distinct docudrama influence, which brings the right amount of emotion and feeling.

Speaking of the cast, we can say that Nr. 24 offers only great acting. Sjur Vatne Brean’s representation of Gunnar Sønsteby and depicts a young hero and his struggle, at the same time, with convincing entirety. The cast members, esp. Lisa Loven Kongsli and Ines Høysæter Asserson, give character depth and accuracy of motion and speech, making the wartime Norway setting seem real.

Nr. 24 is directed by John Andreas Andersen and there is no feeling of the director’s weak hold on the story. Andersen’s direction guarantees the homogeneity of the tale, and aims at engaging personal drama along with significant historical background. The integration of the passionate and swift action scenes with subtle dramatic moments proves that he is an ambitious movie maker that can convey the story’s historical significance.

Musik in Nr 24 adds to the movie’s dramatic and tensioned emotions. It combines typical Norwegian patterns with the orchestral parts and it gives somewhat spooky atmosphere. Sometimes it becomes independent and supports the main action, serves as the comment or intervenes as the main theme, but it does not overpower the film and is conducive to the watcher’s immersion into the Nr. 24’s world. The locations and settings of Norway are captured splendidly and contrasting scenes of countryside are blended with the horrors of war. The depiction in the film is very natural especially concerning the use of natural light to illuminate the scenes, this lends a historic real life feel to the docudrama.

The whole appearance of the film is rich especially in regards to the location and scenes depicted being wartime Norway. Even the musical style favors ambiance with a blend of periods costumes and art deco designed building the whole setting is perfectly presented as being set in the 1940’s on our arrival at the theatre. This attention to detail enhances the historical aspect of the film making the environment so vivid and real.

Sound effects in Nr. 24 is however well done to a reasonable limit. They are useful to create impact during dramatic scenes without detrimentally affecting realism of narration. The use of realistic boom and fighting scenes brings tension and intensity to the movie and helps to draw viewers deeper into the film’s intense situations.

The editing in Nr. 24 corresponds with the narrative speed, which gives a viewer a movie that is consistently interesting. The process of tight juxtapositions means that the story moves on from one scene to the next in a seamless manner, while pauses enable granting the emotion being conveyed time to be absorbed. These points fade in a sequence that enhances the continuity of the film and the whole effect, too.

Nr. 24 has a tempo that is consistent with the level of the plot. Although it never bogs down in plot, the movie maintains the audience’s entertainment through the pacing of action and focused character development. This helps to maintain the audience’s interest in both the general plot and personal developments of specific characters.

Nr. 24 shows excellent dialogs which give the readers some realism in terms of psychological and emotional experiences. Converts are made in order to make the exchanges deeper and to avoid the scripting that might be filled with exposition. The elaborated approach facilitates more realistic characters’ communication and makes an input to building the film’s thematic nucleus.

Despite all its strengths, Nr. 24 has certain weaknesses; for instance, its narrative descends to clichés from time to time, which often make the respective scenes rather predictable. If that little bit of further volatility could scare the audience and keep them more invested to mitigate the distraction that is boredom, it would be worth it. However, this conventional approach does not cause a noteworthy loss of historical storytelling.

Nr. 24 is a visually enchanting portrayal of the Norwegian WWII resistance movement that intertwines historical elements with aesthetics. The picture’s brilliant acting, perfect script work, and astonishing scenes make the film unforgettable. It’s for the strong spirit of people as well as it makes the viewer to ponder deeply on what was ever happened to the history.