Liberation

There’s a popular myth that when the second World War came to an end and countries were liberated from Nazi occupation, everybody cheered and parties and experienced nothing but joy and relief. The reality, of course, was very different. 40 million people had been displaced and many of them were in circumstances where they were unable to support themselves. 53 million had died, and although in some cases that included whole families or most of the residents of whole cities, most had friends and relatives out there who were mourning for them. Europe – along with large parts of the rest of the world – was traumatised. The repercussions would take decades to work themselves out.

Seen through the eyes of young Søren (Lasse Peter Larsen), Liberation explores events which took place around the end of the war in Denmark. It focuses on the influx of German refugees into Denmark, and on one small town, Ryslinge, which finds itself obliged to take over 500. Not to worry, say that Nazi soldiers then in charge. Supplies will soon follow and everybody will be able to cope. But those supplies never appear, and the soldiers abruptly disappear, leaving the townspeople uncertain what to do.

Søren’s life is immediately disrupted because his school, where his father works, is partially sequestered in order to house the refugees. We don’t hear much about their backgrounds but, like refugees in most times and places, they have clearly been through a lot. They’re half starved and many are suffering from diphtheria, which they are too weak to resist. The Danish Medical Association has refused to help, taking the line that to assist them is, indirectly, to assist the Nazis. But when Søren’s father, Jacob (Pilou Asbæk), refuses to assist a woman who is desperately worried about her baby, and subsequently learns that the baby has died, he is badly shaken and resolves to do what he can to help the rest.

Jacob is brave, but he’s not the most skilled of men when it comes to keeping secrets. As other townsfolk turn against him, seeking a scapegoat for all that they have suffered during the preceding years, Søren finds himself caught in the middle. At first he is convinced that what his father is doing is wrong. He has grown up wanting to be a resistance fighter and is ready to take big risks to help to drive the remaining Nazi occupiers out of the country. But being the son of a perceived traitor leads him to see a different side of those he thought of as his own people, and an unexpected encounter with a sympathetic German girl makes him realise that nationality is not as clear an indicator of good or evil as he had thought.

The child’s perspective limits what we see directly, but Larsen is good in a challenging role, and the decision to approach the story in this way will be helpful to people unfamiliar with Denmark’s story. It’s based on true events, which lends it weight and adds to the suspense, given that there are no guarantees of a comforting ending. The acting is good all round, and it’s easy to understand the pain which many of the characters are carrying, together with their desire for vengeance, even if one also feels horrified that many of those suffering as a result are children who can bear no part of the blame for what has happened.

With Jacob and his family finding enemies on all sides of them, the film is replete with tension, and director Anders Walter incorporates some nerve-racking sequences. He also succeeds in reminding viewers of just how vulnerable human beings are – even today – when critical pieces of infrastructure break down.

A smart, thoughtful and courageous film, addressing events that many people would still prefer to keep secret, Liberation reveals another aspect of the damage done by war – one which rarely makes it to the screen. It’s well worth looking out for.