Set in Oslo during the events of World War ll, Betrayed follows the lives of the Jewish Braude family who must face the potential, and inevitable, realities of what a Nazi-occupied Norway will bring for their family.
It’s important to note that this film is based on the true experiences of the Braude family, primarily Charles (Jakob Oftebro), a star boxer within Oslo, who looks to take the next step in his life by marrying Ragnhild (Kristine Kujath Thorp). Soon after they begin their lives together, the realities of war come to their doorstep as Nazi troops begin to inhabit the city. Charles, Ragnhild, and the rest of the Braude family are quickly separated and must do everything within their power to reunite and survive.
Like many historical period dramas set during WWll, you can almost expect to know what the outcome of the story is going to be. This is almost the case for Betrayed. While the events of the Holocaust are very much on full display here, the main focus of the film is on the emotional journey the Braude family is forced to go through and the hope that they must hold on to in order to survive.
The acting is this films greatest strength. There is no doubt that any film recounting the events of the Holocaust will offer a deeply emotional response from its viewers. However, in Betrayed the cast grabs you from the beginning and really forces you to pay attention to their individual stories. Notably, Pia Halvorsen’s Sara carries the weight of the emotional drama as the Braude matriarch and becomes the secondary narrative focus for the story as she is forced to hold onto her faith while reconciling that she may never see her family again.
Betrayed, like many before, gives an emotional and grueling view into the realities of the Holocaust for Jewish people living in Europe. It provides a unique view into these events by telling the Braude family’s story and exploring the treatment of Jewish people who thought they were safe in Norway only to be cast aside by the government when they needed them most.
BETRAYED is now available on DVD and digital
Review – Betrayed
Reviewed online (screener provided by Signature Entertainment), May 31, 2021. Rating: Cert. 15. Running time: 127 min.
PRODUCTION: (UK) A Signature Entertainment release of a Fantefilm production. Producers: Therese Bøhn, Martin Sundland, and Catrin Gundersen.
CREW: Director: Eirik Svensson. Writers: Lars Gudmestad, Harald Rosenløw-Eeg. Cinematography: Karl Erik Brøndbo. Editing: Christian Siebenherz and Elise Solberg. Music: Johan Söderqvist.
CAST: Jakob Oftebro, Pia Halvorsen, Michalis Koutsogiannakis, Carl Martin Eggesbø, Eilif Hartwig, Silje Storstein, Kristine Kujath Thorp,