Returning to Norway with his friend Gregers Gram, his first mission is an attack on German supply ships.
After being hospitalised, he manages to escape to Scotland where he receives British Commando training in sabotage and disinformation. He joins with the Norwegian resistance movement in their fight against the Germans, producing illegal propaganda, but his cell is soon detected and he is arrested after jumping out a window. Max Manus also sparked a public debate about the role of the Norwegian resistance movement during the German occupation.Īfter fighting the Soviets as a volunteer during the Winter War in Finland, Max Manus, haunted by his experiences, returns to Norway, finding it occupied by the Nazis. Reception from critics was largely positive. The film's premiere was attended by King Harald V, "Tikken" Manus, Gunnar Sønsteby along with other notable individuals. The production included around 1,800 extras and 2,000 workers behind the cameras. The film stays largely historically accurate, but omits some events, and moves some of the supporting characters around to show them taking part in events in place of others. The film is based on Max Manus's own books Det vil helst gå godt and Det blir alvor, as well as other accounts and historical documentation. The story follows Manus ( Aksel Hennie) from the Winter War against the Soviet Union, through the outbreak of World War II and the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany until peacetime in 1945. Max Manus: Man of War is a 2008 Norwegian biographical war film based on the real events of the life of resistance fighter Max Manus (9 December 1914 – 20 September 1996).