The History Channel vs The Heroes
I caught a part of the a History Channel show on the secret weapons of the Nazi empire the other day, and got some enlightenment on the true facts of the Telemark Saga, and thought I would compare with the movie, (previously reviewed in this here blog...).
In the movie, Kirk Douglas is a physics professor at Oslo University (?) who is contacted by a resistance fighter (Richard Harris) with microfilm detailing what's going on at the plant. He and Harris then commandeer a small passenger vessel and force it to go to England. According to the History Channel, the British find a worker from the plant on a Norwegian fishing vessel that has sailed into it's waters.
According to HC, the Brits then send in 2 gliders filled with commandos to attack and blow up the plant. Both gliders crash, losing all hands on board. They subsequently send in 6 norwegian nationals (I think by parachute), who carry out the first attack on the plant, blowing up the equipment being used to create heavy water. In the movie, Richard Harris and Kirk Douglas have already returned to Norway. When the gliders blow up, they're already there waiting for the commando assistance. They subsequently decide on their own to carry out the mission themselves.
Both the movie and the HC agree that the Norwegians wore British uniforms when they attacked the plant to prevent 'retailiation upon the citizens' should they be captured and/or killed.
Though they succeed in blowing up the equipment, it barely stops the Nazi's as apparently they have spares in reserve (both HC and movie agree).
The HC then reports that the Americans send in bombers to blow up the facillity. There was no mention of this in the movie. Though I think this did stop the Nazis from producing more heavy water, it didn't destroy the supply they'd already generated. According to the HC, one of the six norwegian's they'd sent in first attack had stayed behind, and he succeeds in blowing up the ferry that ends up transporting the water. This pretty much jives with the movie, but there's no mention about how the Kirk Douglas character rides the ferry himself, gathers all the children on board at the back of the boat for 'the explosion' so that they can be saved, etc.
There's also no mention of how he happens to meet his ex-wife in the outback of the Norwegian mountains and has an amorous liasson, but presumably they considered this to be of less than historical importance...
The HC does mention about how the Norwegian nationals do have to ski into town, which makes the skiing sequences at least appropriate to the story...
Interestingly enough, it appeared as if the HC was actually using footage from the movie as part of their documentary.
In the movie, Kirk Douglas is a physics professor at Oslo University (?) who is contacted by a resistance fighter (Richard Harris) with microfilm detailing what's going on at the plant. He and Harris then commandeer a small passenger vessel and force it to go to England. According to the History Channel, the British find a worker from the plant on a Norwegian fishing vessel that has sailed into it's waters.
According to HC, the Brits then send in 2 gliders filled with commandos to attack and blow up the plant. Both gliders crash, losing all hands on board. They subsequently send in 6 norwegian nationals (I think by parachute), who carry out the first attack on the plant, blowing up the equipment being used to create heavy water. In the movie, Richard Harris and Kirk Douglas have already returned to Norway. When the gliders blow up, they're already there waiting for the commando assistance. They subsequently decide on their own to carry out the mission themselves.
Both the movie and the HC agree that the Norwegians wore British uniforms when they attacked the plant to prevent 'retailiation upon the citizens' should they be captured and/or killed.
Though they succeed in blowing up the equipment, it barely stops the Nazi's as apparently they have spares in reserve (both HC and movie agree).
The HC then reports that the Americans send in bombers to blow up the facillity. There was no mention of this in the movie. Though I think this did stop the Nazis from producing more heavy water, it didn't destroy the supply they'd already generated. According to the HC, one of the six norwegian's they'd sent in first attack had stayed behind, and he succeeds in blowing up the ferry that ends up transporting the water. This pretty much jives with the movie, but there's no mention about how the Kirk Douglas character rides the ferry himself, gathers all the children on board at the back of the boat for 'the explosion' so that they can be saved, etc.
There's also no mention of how he happens to meet his ex-wife in the outback of the Norwegian mountains and has an amorous liasson, but presumably they considered this to be of less than historical importance...
The HC does mention about how the Norwegian nationals do have to ski into town, which makes the skiing sequences at least appropriate to the story...
Interestingly enough, it appeared as if the HC was actually using footage from the movie as part of their documentary.
posted by quantom qurkington at 8:20 AM
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