A “fantastic, heart breaking and intense” war film that scores a perfect 100% from professional critics on Rotten Tomatoes is now streaming on Netflix. Critics prasied the World War II film – The Bombardment – for its harrowing storyline that lingers in the mind long after viewing, shedding light on untold stories in Denmark.
Set during the final months of World War II, the powerful and heartbreaking Danish war drama is based on the real-life tragedy of Operation Carthage, a British air raid on Copenhagen on March 21, 1945, that went fatally wrong. The Bombardment interweaves several storylines, focusing on the lives of Danish schoolchildren, nuns and resistance fighters, all of whom are affected by the bombing intended to destroy enemy headquarters in Copenhagen.
Due to a navigational error, one of the bombers accidentally hits a school, leading to catastrophic civilian casualties.
The narrative focuses on three individuals as their paths cross: Henry, a young boy traumatised into muteness by a previous air attack; Frederik, a conflicted soldier who begins questioning his loyalties; and Sister Teresa, who tries to maintain her faith and protect her students during the horrors of war.
One of the nine professional critics commented: “Haunting and visceral, Ole Bornedal’s beautifully shot film stays in your mind well after it’s over.”
While the majority thought its story needed telling, some questioned the film’s execution: “While The Bombardment struggles to figure how to lay the foundation for the larger narrative of the film…this terrible tragedy is not for the faint of heart, but the story deserves to be told, and the impact of the lives lost should never be forgotten.”
The 2021 film scored an equally respectable 90% audience rating from around 250 viewers.
One said: “Absolutely fantastic, heart breaking, intense all wrapped in one, amazing directing and even at the ending, moments stay in you’re mind. Great actors/actresses. Well portrayed 5*.”
Another added: “Poorly titled as many people will not watch it thinking it’s just another war movie, but it’s much, much more.”
Although one criticised the flow: “Engrossing but hard to follow because of the constant switching back and forth and multiple sub-plots.”
The film, also known as ‘The Shadow in My Eye’ in direct translation from Danish, is available now on Netflix.