The 12th Man

A film set in Norway during the Second World War. In 1943 a group of twelve is sent from Britain to the Norwegian coast on a fishing boat. Their mission is to sabotage a German airfield and shipping. They are caught before landing. The boat is blown up, the group scatters and the fate of eleven becomes clear. The twelfth gets away. Jan Baalsrud jumps into the sea, swims in freezing water and comes ashore. One foot has no boot. From there the film is about his attempt to reach the Swedish border. The journey takes months. Snow blindness, frostbite and gangrene come into it; in one section he cuts off his own toes. The real subject is not the escape but the people who help. Dozens hide him in their houses on the way to the border, carry him on sledges, bury him under the snow and take the risk of being caught. Nobody does it because they know him. The Gestapo officer after him turns the matter into a personal account. Thomas Gullestad plays Baalsrud and Jonathan Rhys Meyers the German officer. Harald Zwart directed. The narrative is based on real events and the story has long been known in Norway. A shattering production for anyone who likes wartime survival stories. Before you watch, know this: the film shows cold and physical pain directly and some scenes are hard.