Commandos Strike at Dawn

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Morning, Johan.

- Morning.

- Good morning, Erik.

- Morning, Gunnar.

- Morning, Erik.

How was your catch last night?

- Found the school where you said.

- Above the point.

You'll have better luck tomorrow.

The water temperature

is up two degrees.

- How's your luck, Erik?

- My luck?

I don't need any luck

in my business.

I wasn't talking about business.

Nor is your business my business...

...nor am I a man to talk,

but there is talk in the village.

The hermit is no longer a hermit.

Go on and dry your nets.

Erik, there was some tagged salmon

in the catch, three of them.

Well, that's right, my tags.

They're the first to show up.

I marked them in June, 1935.

Home again.

Four years later, on time.

Thanks for bringing them.

I've got to note this down.

You're not too busy to come

to my wedding tonight?

- I'll be there.

- Anna told me to remind you...

...she's invited the English admiral.

- And his daughter too?

Yes, his daughter too.

Go on and dry your nets.

Don't look yet.

- Now you can turn around.

- Your wedding cake.

How beautiful! Thank you.

- Make a wish.

- I will.

Did you make the wish?

I did.

- This is wonderful cake.

- All wedding cakes are lovely.

This is the nicest one of all,

I know.

Save a nice piece for your father.

- I will. This is for you, Alfred.

- Thank you, Anna.

- But you must remember our guests.

- Yes, the English admiral.

I'll serve them right away.

Thank you.

- To our English friends.

- Thank you.

- Thank you very much.

- Good luck to you always.

Thank you.

The first dance with your husband.

Excuse us.

This is very good cake indeed.

We seem to be celebrating

every event in Norway with a feast.

A pleasant custom,

in my opinion.

Judith's fond of her food.

The poets say women

are wrapped up...

...in love and dreams

of melancholy princes...

...but my sister prefers

roast beef any day.

- Brother has no illusions about me.

- All brothers are the same.

- Would you care to dance?

- I'll do my best.

I like weddings. In fact, I like

everything I've discovered in Norway.

Norway returns the compliment,

Miss Bowen.

Happy?

Yes, but I'd better go back

and finish cutting the cake.

All right.

I'll tell you the truth, Anna.

I'm delighted you married my son.

I couldn't have picked a better girl.

Two or three little points

of instruction:

In the morning, don't talk

to him until he talks to you.

A man in the morning is really

an animal that belongs in the zoo.

- Not Gunnar?

- Gunnar!

Instruction the second:

Do not permit yourself to get fat.

Fat has ruined more marriages

than actresses and pretty widows.

Has Mother taught you not to talk to me

until I talk to you in the morning?

- Gunnar!

- How did you know?

Mother's married off five

of my brothers already.

When Alfred finds a wife,

she'll hear the same.

Dance.

Your instructions will come later...

...and not from me.

Go, dance.

I've never seen so many

beautiful girls in my life.

I'm seriously thinking of living

in Norway for five or six years.

You look so serious, as if you were

trying to solve a world problem.

I am serious about a problem.

It isn't a world problem.

If you have something on your mind,

it makes it a lot easier...

...to share it with someone.

My friends tell me

that I have a nice, honest face.

We dance. We drink. Ridiculous.

- Another drink, admiral?

- I really oughtn't.

- Just one.

- Thank you.

- To England.

- To Norway.

Though I reserve certain criticisms

of the English government, understand.

I understand. I imagine

you are not alone in that.

We dance. We drink.

We pray. It's ridiculous.

Evening, admiral. I hope my

husband isn't boring you with politics.

- Yes, Mrs. Bergesen.

- At a wedding?

Yes, at a wedding, in church,

at dinner, in school...

...in factories, in bed I talk politics.

Laugh now. Later I will laugh, except

that I won't feel like laughing.

You're a patriarch. You sailed God's

oceans. You're familiar with storms.

With that beard you look

as wise as Moses. What do you say?

The herring will run,

Germans or no Germans.

All the philosophy you'll get from him.

He owns a fleet of boats.

I must drink. I just must drink.

Tell me,

is England asleep like this too?

- Perhaps dozing a little.

- Johan, why talk?

Yes, it's only bad for my stomach.

And it's a wedding.

- Let's dance.

- Yes. Come.

Forgive me. Forgive me.

Mrs. Bergesen?

When Bergesen was a young man,

we said he'd grow out of it.

We were wrong.

Still, he does no harm.

To my son,

and may he have seven sons too.

I hope so, sir.

- All right, Mr. Korstad?

- I regret I haven't seven more sons...

...to marry off in your hotel,

Mr. Arnesen.

Thank you very much.

Here, smell.

A beautiful combination

of summertime and alcohol.

Don't stand around all night, girls.

See that everybody has what he wants.

When I think of weddings,

I think of the smell.

You look unhappy.

Somebody spill something?

That Bergesen! Talk, talk, talk.

He should be stopped by law.

You always want

to stop something by law.

You don't eat enough

green vegetables.

A woman shouldn't make fun

of her husband's political convictions.

Go pour this in the bowl.

It wouldn't do you any harm...

...to stick your nose

in it once or twice yourself.

Hilma, we must have a serious talk.

Next year, Lars. Go on now.

A dry punch bowl is against nature.

I'll always remember this.

Tall trees, deep waters,

peaceful waters.

Stars like ice.

Those good, kind people inside.

What a pleasant place

to hold a wedding.

Yes, pleasant.

- Is that where you were married?

- Yes, seven years ago.

My wife died when Solveig was born.

Yes, I know.

Hans! No, Hans. I said, no!

"No" is not so different

from any other place.

Spring. The snow melts on the hills.

The buds come out on the trees.

The salmon come home

and the girls say, "I said, no."

What is that?

My Solveig is sleeping in there

with the children of the other guests.

When I was a little girl

and the grownups had a party...

...I used to stay at the head

of the stairs and watch all night long.

- Perhaps she's still awake.

- Shall we go and see?

- Father.

- Did you sleep well, Solveig?

All right. But I lost a button

from my nightdress.

That's serious.

I'll fix that.

- Father, was it a nice party?

- Yes, very nice.

- Was there dancing?

- Yes.

How many dances?

- Six?

- Six.

You danced six times?

- Yes.

- He did.

With you?

All right.

- Good night.

- Good night.

This air's good after all that punch.

It's time we turned in.

It's an early start tomorrow.

- Judith took an hour to dress tonight.

- Not long for a woman.

She usually takes eight minutes.

- Nice chap, that Toresen, isn't he?

- Very.

Do you think anything

will come of it?

No. You'd better go say good night to

those five girls you were dancing with.

Seven.

I observe the wind, the weather...

...the arrival and departure

of various kinds of fish.

I report every day to Oslo

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