Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- wintry
- morally serious
- classic war movie night
- historical action marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film entertaining and memorable as a realistic World War II sabotage adventure, though its repeatedly revised script weakens its overall coherence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The resistance repeatedly targets the heavy water plant, production equipment, and ferry shipment tied to Germany’s atomic-bomb ambitions.
Pedersen and Straud clash over bombing the plant, while the ferry operation must account for a widow, a baby, and other passengers.
The Telemark mountains, icy landscape, nighttime glider crash, and fjord crossing repeatedly shape the resistance missions.
The plot is explicitly based on Norwegian heavy-water sabotage but adds the divided ex-spouses and heightened action-drama structure.
Films like The Heroes of Telemark, and why
The Guns of Navarone
wartime resistance sabotage, covert missions, and large-scale action spectacle
Where Eagles Dare
World War II commando operations, dangerous mountain settings, and pulpy espionage tension
The Battle of Britain
historical resistance action, moral dilemmas, and civilian stakes during Nazi occupation
Movie Details
- Director
- Anthony Mann
- Release Date
- 1965-11-12
- Runtime
- 131 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (188)
Cast
- Kirk Douglas
- Richard Harris
- Ulla Jacobsson
- Michael Redgrave
- David Weston
- Anton Diffring
- Eric Porter
- Mervyn Johns
- Jennifer Hilary
- Roy Dotrice
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Heroes of Telemark about?
- Norwegian resistance fighters and a conflicted physicist race to destroy a Nazi heavy-water operation before its atomic ambitions can advance.
- What is The Heroes of Telemark like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Heroes of Telemark as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Heroes of Telemark violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Heroes of Telemark as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Heroes of Telemark?
- Critics broadly find the film entertaining and memorable as a realistic World War II sabotage adventure, though its repeatedly revised script weakens its overall coherence.
- Which films are like The Heroes of Telemark?
- Films with a similar feel include The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, and The Battle of Britain.
- How long is The Heroes of Telemark?
- The Heroes of Telemark runs 131 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Heroes of Telemark?
- In United States, The Heroes of Telemark is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
