The Shadow in My Eye

The Shadow in My Eye

On March 21st, 1945, the British Royal Air Force set out on a mission to bomb Gestapo's headquarters in Copenhagen. The raid had fatal consequences as some of the bombers accidentally targeted a school and more than 120 people were killed, 86 of whom were children.

  • Released: 2021-10-28
  • Runtime: 107 minutes
  • Genre: Drama, History, War
  • Stars: Ester Birch, Alex Høgh Andersen, Danica Ćurčić, James Tarpey, Patricia Schumann, Fanny Leander Bornedal, Mads Riisom, Jens Sætter-Lassen, Malene Beltoft Olsen, Joen Højerslev, Kristian Ibler, Alban Lendorf, Susse Wold, Nicklas Søderberg Lundstrøm, Ella Josephine Lund Nilsson, Anděla Jirotková, Caspar Phillipson, Morten Suurballe, Michael Pitthan, Rikke Louise Andersson, Maria Rossing, Casper Kjær Jensen, Olaf Johannessen, Jaromír Nosek, Alex Figueiredo, Petr Meissel, Štepánka Fingerhutová, Jan Brichcin Jr., Bertram Bisgaard Enevoldsen, Malena Lucia Lodahl, Henrik Noël Olesen, Mathias Flint, Inge Sofie Skovbo, Ida Procter, Malthe Jagd Miehe-Renard
  • Director: Ole Bornedal
 Comments
  • khemass - 18 December 2023
    A good war film, almost great
    This is a well-made movie about the mistarget bombing of a primary school in Copenhagen during World War II. Its production, cinematography, editing, make-up, setting and soundtrack are good. The cast gave quality performance. Although a few scenes are a bit dragging (like the mom running home at the ending part) most of them are engaging for the audience.

    One of the most outstanding thing about this film is the performance of the actor who played the muted boy. Wow, he really has the talent. He really looks like a boy shocked by a scene of war. And the friendship that grows between the boy and his two new friends show that love and sincerity of children can heal someone much better than harsh punishment. And the fact that being on a mission can make him recover from his muteness is a good point, too.

    But I need to state the big flaw. You can really cut off the subplot about the nun and the man that she kissed. It gives confusing message and unnecessary. She can just be a nun who cares for the children and talks about God dropping a pencil, which makes the conversation when they trapped inside the ruin poignant. That's good enough. The film itself has the main point in the destructive effects of war and the focus should have been kept on that, adding more about why the mistarget happen would be good, too. A film should have a clear message to say, not a two or three unrelated ones.

    Anyway, it is a good war film (not as great as Narvik, though) And I don't find it that much emotionally brutal because I have watched so many war films and I know that a lot of children are going to die at the end. War is pointless and brings no good but human keeps making this happen in our world, so I'm glad that this movie gets made. At least it shows the terrible things war brought to us.
  • fostrhod - 13 February 2023
    Casualties of war
    Bombardment, Danish war film on Netflix.

    Occupied Denmark now ruled by the Germans and Danish collaborators.

    The resistance have been asking for months for the British to take out the gestapo building. Relenting they do, the resistance now prisoners in the roof of the building have accepted their fate of being casualties of war. Sadly the oncoming British bombers miscalculate and bomb the school run by nuns.

    In the middle of all this is a boy suffering from PTSD, obviously not known at the time when you consider how the doctors treats him at the beginning of the film following him witnessing the aftermath of a decimation of a car, again by a British friendly fire accident.

    There is also a side story of a nun losing her faith, and a Danish Gestapo collaborator who is drawn together with the nun.

    It's interesting how this film and also Narvik ( set in occupied Norway) depict the British as the villains either by accident or design. Not seeing the 2nd World War from these countries perspective it's interesting to see. Is this the general feeling of mainland Europe towards Britain post Brexit, or a genuine hangover of the war and highlighting that it wasn't all clear cut.

    The movie is a great overview of the very real casualties of war, the civilians, the children, the old, the innocents. There are no victors I'm afraid guys take note.
  • imranahmedsg - 7 August 2022
    Tragic story but poor film
    The film is overly dramatic and painfully slow. Undoubtedly, the incident is tragic and deserves a sober telling.

    Movies, however, are not the right medium for retelling history. The Bombardment reconfirms the inability of films to narrate such historic tales in a manner which does justice to both the viewer and the filmmaker.
  • tomfarrell2004 - 1 June 2022
    Horribly depressing.
    If you're in a really good mood, and want to end it, watch this little ditty. Guaranteed to ruin the rest of your night. I truly wish I had never watched it. Next time I have an urge to punish myself, I'll hit my thumb with a sledge hammer, and save 2 hours of my life.