''The King's Choice'' (, meaning "The King's No") is a 2016

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by

Erik Poppe Erik Poppe (born 24 June 1960) is a Norwegian film director, producer and screenwriter. Poppe is regarded as one of Scandinavia's most experienced and compelling film directors recognized for his work with actors and multi-pronged narrative ...

. It is a co-production of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland, and was selected as the Norwegian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the

89th Academy Awards The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2016 in film, films of 2016, and took place on February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Californ ...

. The film made the shortlist of nine films to be considered for a nomination at the 89th Academy Awards.

Plot

The film focuses on

King Haakon VII Haakon VII (; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was King of Norway from 18 November 1905 until his death in 1957. The future Haakon VII was born in Copenhagen as Prince Carl of Denmark. He was the second son of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess ...

and the

Norwegian royal family Members of the Norwegian royal family are people related to King Harald V of Norway or former Norwegian monarchs who are royals and who hold royal titles. The term does not include non-royal relatives. The current family who holds the throne a ...

in the days before and immediately after the German invasion of Norway in April 1940. On 8 April,

Crown Prince Olav Olav V (, ; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was born at Sandringham House in England, the only child of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wa ...

informs his father that the transport ship that was sunk off

Lillesand Lillesand () is municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Lillesand. Some of the larger villages in Lillesand municipality include ...

earlier that day was carrying

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

soldiers, and expresses concern that the government of

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Johan Nygaardsvold Johan Nygaardsvold (; 6 September 1879 – 13 March 1952) was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party who served as the prime minister of Norway from 1935 to 1945. From June 1940 until May 1945, he oversaw the Norwegian Government-in-exile f ...

refuses to give up

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

's neutrality in the face of German aggression. At the German embassy in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

, German envoy

Curt Bräuer Curt Bräuer (24 February 1889 – 8 September 1969) was a German career diplomat. Born in Breslau, in what is modern-day Poland, Bräuer entered service in the German foreign ministry in 1920. From 1928 to 1930, he was a member of the German D ...

is instructed by military attaché Lieutenant-Colonel Hartwig Pohlman to encourage the Norwegian government to allow German troops into the country, under the pretext of defending Norway from a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

invasion. Early the following morning, Bräuer takes the German offer to Foreign Minister

Halvdan Koht Halvdan Koht (7 July 1873 – 12 December 1965) was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party. Born in the north of Norway to a fairly distinguished family, he soon became interested in politics and history. Sta ...

; after consulting the Cabinet, Koht refuses, stating that Norway is a sovereign nation. Meanwhile, at

Oscarsborg Fortress Oscarsborg Fortress () is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the town of Drøbak in Akershus County, Norway. The best known part is situated on two small islets: ''Nordre Kaholmen'' and ''Søndre Kaholmen''. In addition, the main art ...

near

Drøbak Drøbak is a town and the centre of the municipality of Frogn, in Akershus county, Norway. The city is located along the Oslofjord, and has 13,409 inhabitants. History Drøbak and Frogn was established as a parish on its own through a royal d ...

, Colonel

Birger Eriksen Birger Kristian Eriksen (17 November 1875 – 16 July 1958) was a Norway, Norwegian military officer (with the rank of Military ranks and insignia of Norway, Oberst) who was instrumental in stopping the first wave of ''Gruppe 5'' of the Germ ...

prepares his undermanned and inexperienced garrison for combat, while receiving reports from the outlying fortresses of incoming German ships. Early on the morning of 9 April, Eriksen spots the German cruiser ''Blücher'' entering

Drøbak Sound The Drøbak Sound ( Norwegian: Drøbaksundet) is a sound at the Oslofjord narrows between Drøbak and Hurum. "Outer Oslofjord" is a term for the fjord south of the Drøbak Sound until it meets the Skagerrak. "Inner Oslofjord" is a term for the res ...

. Despite having received no instructions from Oslo to engage, Eriksen considers the German ship to be hostile and gives the order to fire, and the fortress's guns and torpedo battery sink the ''Blücher''. Prime Minister Nygaardsvold telephones the King, informing him of the impending invasion, and advises him to flee Oslo. The royal family boards a train for

Hamar Hamar is a List of cities in Norway, town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet Counties of Norway, county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Hedmarken. ...

, where the

Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...

convenes to discuss negotiations with Germany. Bräuer meets Oslo's police chief Kristian Welhaven, his intermediary with the Norwegian Cabinet, to reassure them of his desire to negotiate; at the same time, Pohlman receives orders from

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

to send

paratroopers A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light inf ...

to Hamar to capture the King and the Cabinet.

Nasjonal Samling The Nasjonal Samling (, NS; ) was a Norway, Norwegian far-right politics, far-right political party active from 1933 to 1945. It was the only legal party of Norway from 1942 to 1945. It was founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling a ...

leader

Vidkun Quisling Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling (; ; 18 July 1887 – 24 October 1945) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Nazi collaborator who Quisling regime, headed the government of N ...

proclaims himself Prime Minister over the

national radio RNZ National (), formerly Radio New Zealand National, and known until 2007 as the National Programme or National Radio, is a publicly funded non-commercial New Zealand English-language radio network operated by Radio New Zealand. It specialises ...

, and calls upon the Norwegian people to accept the German occupation forces. Bräuer receives instructions from

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

himself to go directly to the King and convince him to recognise Quisling's government, though Bräuer is convinced that neither Haakon nor the Cabinet will accept this. As German troops advance towards Hamar, the royal family and the Cabinet relocate to

Elverum Elverum () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Elverum ( ...

, where the decision is made to send Olav's wife and three children to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

while the King and the Crown Prince remain in the country. Just after midnight on 10 April, the German paratroopers attack a roadblock at Midtskogen, and are beaten back by the Norwegian volunteers. At

Nybergsund Nybergsund is a village in Trysil Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located about south of the village of Innbygda which is the municipal centre of Trysil. The village is best known for serving as a hiding place for the Norwegian r ...

, the Cabinet meets to discuss Bräuer's request to meet the King alone to end the hostilities. Despite Olav's objections and fears for his father's safety, Haakon agrees to meet with Bräuer at Elverum. Bräuer urges Haakon to follow the example of his elder brother,

King Christian King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by fi ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, to capitulate without further resistance. Haakon relays the German demands to the Cabinet and states he cannot accept Quisling as Prime Minister, offering to abdicate if the Cabinet felt otherwise. Inspired by the King's decision, the Cabinet informs Bräuer of their refusal. In response, German aircraft bomb Elverum and Nybergsund, forcing Haakon and the Cabinet to flee into the woods. The King, the Crown Prince, and the Cabinet eventually escape to Britain, where they remain until the end of the war. In May 1945, following the

German surrender German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ger ...

, Haakon is reunited with his grandson, Prince Harald, in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

before the royal family returns to Norway.

Cast

Jesper Christensen Jesper Christensen (; born 16 May 1948) is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has made the transition to English language projects, including '' The Interpreter'' and '' Revelations''. He has also appeared as the mysterious vill ...

Anders Baasmo Christiansen Anders Baasmo (born 29 January 1976) is a Norwegian actor originally from Hamar. Baasmo earned his breakthrough in 2003 when he received the Amanda award for his performance in the Norwegian picture '' Buddy''. He won the TV award Gullruten in ...

Tuva Novotny Tuva Matilda Moa Karolina Novotny (née Hedström; born 21 December 1979), also known as Tuva Novotny-Hedström, is a Swedish actress and director. Early life and education Tuva Matilda Moa Karolina Hedström was born on 21 December 1979 in Sto ...

Crown Princess Märtha ''Crown Princess Märtha'' is a bronze statue of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, by Kirsten Kokkin. It is located at the Norwegian residence at Massachusetts Avenue and 34th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. It was unveiled 18 September 2005. A ...

Katharina Schüttler Katharina Schüttler (born 20 October 1979) is a German television and film actress. Her film debut was in the movie ''Die Lok'' in 1992. She is best known internationally for leading roles as Clara Rosenbaum in ''The Promise (2011 TV serial), Th ...

as Anneliese Bräuer *

Karl Markovics Karl Markovics (born 29 August 1963) is an Austrian actor and film director. He was born in Vienna, Austria. He starred in Stefan Ruzowitzky's 2007 film '' The Counterfeiters'', which was awarded the first ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Lan ...

Juliane Köhler Juliane Köhler (born 6 August 1965) is a German theatre, television and film actress. She was born in Göttingen to a puppeteer. During the period from 1985 to 1988, she studied under Uta Hagen in New York City and attended HB Studio. She also ...

as Diana Müller *

Erik Hivju Erik Hivju (born 24 September 1947) is a Norway, Norwegian actor. Hivju has appeared in more than a dozen television series, as well as several films. He is the father of the Norwegian actor Kristofer Hivju. Selected filmography * ''Lukket avd ...

as Colonel

* Espen Sandvik as Captain Magnus P. Sødem * Arthur Hakalahti as

Guardsman Guardsman is a rank used instead of private in some military units that serve as the official bodyguard of a sovereign or head of state. It is also used as a generic term for any member of a guards unit of any rank. Canada In the Canadian Fo ...

Fredrik Seeberg * Rolf Kristian Larsen as Sergeant Brynjar Hammer * Svein Tindberg as Peder Anker Wedel Jarlsberg * Gerald Pettersen as Prime Minister

* Ketil Høegh as Foreign Minister

* Andreas Lust as Oberstleutnant Hartwig Pohlman * Jan Frostad as

President of the Storting The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...

C. J. Hambro * Magnus Ketil Dobbe as Prince Harald * Sofie Falkgård as Princess Ragnhild * Ingrid Ross Raftemo as Princess Astrid * Udo Schenk as

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

(voice) * Torfinn Nag as Police Chief Kristian Welhaven * Jan Petter Dickman as Ivar Lykke

Release

The film was first shown to the whole of the present Norwegian royal family at the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania {, class="wikitable" width="95%" , - bgcolor="white" !align=center, Residence !align=center, Photo !align=center, City !align=cen ...

on 16 September 2016.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on reviews from 24 critics, and an average rating of 6.6/10. On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the film has a score of 64 out of 100, based on reviews from 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

References

External links

*
The King's Choice Trailer
on

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

*
''The King's Choice''
at

Palace Films and Cinemas Palace Cinemas is an Australian cinema chain that specialises in arthouse and international films. Their head office are based in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra and they operate locations in New South Wales (Central Park, Norton Street, ...

The King's Choice
at

Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival (sometimes stylized shortly as PSIFF) is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. Originally promoted by Mayor Sonny Bono and then sponsored by Nortel,here for Table of Contents it started in 19 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:King's Choice, The 2016 films 2016 multilingual films 2016 war drama films 2016 biographical drama films Norwegian drama films Norwegian biographical films Films directed by Erik Poppe Irish biographical drama films 2010s Norwegian-language films 2010s Danish-language films 2010s German-language films Films set in Norway Films shot in Norway Western Front of World War II films World War II films based on actual events Cultural depictions of Norwegian kings Norwegian multilingual films Swedish multilingual films Danish multilingual films Irish multilingual films Films scored by Johan Söderqvist Irish war films Films about Norway in World War II