History Film / TheKingsChoice

* DomesticAbuse: Bräuer hauls off and [[WouldHitAGirl slaps his Norwegian wife]] Anneliese after she punctures his attitude of diplomatic superiority and calls him a soldier of Hitler. It ends up with her locking him out of the house and planning to leave him. She [[spoiler:does stay, though he's soon sent to [[PlaceWorseThanDeath the Eastern Front]]]].

* FisherKing: King Haakon is aging and slowed, in physical pain, and has 'senior moments' of scattered focus. The first shot has him self-blinded in the snow. Meanwhile, the Nazis are invading Norway. It seems highly uncertain he's in the kind of shape to cope with such a crisis. And [[spoiler: boy, oh boy, can he still bring it]]. Subverted.

* WhatsUpKingDude: Downplayed and played for laughs, but an awed Seeberg returns Haakon's "Good evening, soldier" with "Good evening... King." It's immediately subverted by him switching to "Your Majesty".[[note]] In a TruthInTelevision moment, interestingly enough, when Haakon came to Norway, years before Seeberg was born, he '''was''' addressed simply as "Mister King".[[/note]]

* BerserkButton: Don't try using the King's family to manipulate his job, [[spoiler:Mister Envoy]].

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Bräuer and his baby girl; he mentions her hoping to sway King Haakon. He loves his Norwegian wife Anneliese, too, but that's more complicated.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Aside from being HoistByTheirOwnPetard, the sinking of the ''Blucher'' by Oscarsborg is basically the only part of the invasion the Norwegians managed to fight off. It happened to be the one carrying the invasion forces for Oslo, and stopping it let the King and his family, and most of the government escape.

* WouldHitAGirl: Bräuer hauls off and slaps his wife hard after she punctures his attitude of diplomatic superiority and calls him a soldier of Hitler.

** Also Queen Maud, more literally. She died two years before, but Haakon still clearly misses her. She also comes up in a tense scene between Haakon and Olav.

* TheDutifulSon: Olav, who still argues with his father (and others) to the point where he can start seeming like a RebelPrince. See WellDoneSonGuy.

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: A point of dramatic tension. Haakon VII, as a constitutional monarch, actually is ''not'' supposed to do anything. But the rapidly unfolding events have him making big decisions regarding surrender or war, especially when Adolf Hitler orders Bräuer to negotiate only with Haakon VII rather than the prime minister or his cabinet.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Crown Prince Olav clearly loves his father, but they spend a lot of the movie bickering and sniping, at least partly from stress. Haakon finally apologizes for [[spoiler:having made Olav heir to a throne at the age of 2 and given him [[{{Irony}} no choice]] in anything, and even offers to let him do something else. Then Olav says he ''does'' want to be king; he just doesn't want to be a king the same way as his father]]. [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Haakon is later entirely supportive of this]].

* WilhelmScream: Heard from the German soldier that takes a bullet in the chest from Seeberg. Unfortunately for Seeberg that comes a moment after the German throws a grenade, which lands at Seeberg's feet and grievously injures him.

* ChildrenAreInnocent: Bräuer's daughter, and Olav and Märtha's children. Harald just wants to go home. Arguably, [[spoiler:the little kid Haakon tries to protect in the snow at the end]].

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Bräuer and his baby girl; he mentions her hoping to sway King Haakon. He loves his wife Annelise, too, but that's more complicated.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Crown Prince Olav clearly loves his father, but they spend a lot of the movie bickering and sniping, at least partly from stress. Haakon finally apologizes for [[spoiler:having made Olav heir to a throne at the age of 2 and given him [[{{Irony}} no choice]] in anything, and even offers to let him do something else. Then Olav says he ''does'' want to be king; he just doesn't want to be a king the same way as his father]]. [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Haakon is entirely supportive of this]].
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: All the principals. Seeberg, the fresh-faced boy grieviously injured fighting the Germans at a roadblock, survived the war and was still alive when this movie was released in Norway. Curt Bräuer left government service and served on the Eastern Front as an ordinary soldier, [[spoiler:spending nine years in Soviet prison camps before finally being sent home and surviving until 1969]]. Harald has been king since 1991, with the same motto as his father and grandfather -- "Alt for Norge".

* CastingGag: Danish Jesper Christensen plays King Haakon VII of Norway, né Prince Carl of Denmark.

* ForWantOfANail: If the ''Blucher'' had made it to Oslo, the king's choices might have looked a little different. See LaserGuidedKarma.

* {{Omniglot}}: Fairly standard for royalty, especially at the time, and lampshaded with the train scene with Harald and Piglet, but Haakon still speaks Norwegian, Danish, English (though it isn't shown other than 'yessir') and ''very good German'', Herr Bräuer.

* RedOniBlueOni: Haakon is the cautious and stately Blue to the pugnacious Olav's Red.
* {{Retraux}}: The opening sequence covering Haakon's arrival in Norway in 1905 to become king (he was actually from Denmark, but was invited to be King of Norway when Norway gained independence from Sweden) is shot to mimic an early silent film.

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: All the principals. Seeberg, the fresh-faced boy grieviously injured fighting the Germans at a roadblock, survived the war and was still alive when this movie was released in Norway. Curt Bräuer left government service and served on the Eastern Front as an ordinary soldier, spending nine years in Soviet prison camps before finally being sent home and surviving until 1969. Harald has been king since 1991, with the same motto as his father and grandfather -- "Alt for Norge".

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Bräuer and his baby girl; he mentions her hoping to sway King Haakon. He loves his wife Annelise, too, but that's more complicated.
* ForWantOfANail: If the ''Blucher'' had made it to Oslo, the king's choices might have looked a little different. See LaserGuidedKarma.

* TheDutifulSon: Olav, who still argues with his father (and others) to the point where he can start seeming like a RebelPrince. See WellDoneSonGuy.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Haakon absolutely rips into [[spoiler:Bräuer in the film's climactic scene. It's more startling coming]] from [[BewareTheQuietOnes someone who's been so stoic and dignified up to then]].

* LockAndLoadMontage: An entire scene has the men of Oscarsborg Fortress loading up their guns before the Germans arrive. It pays off, as artillery fire from Oscarsborg sinks German heavy cruiser ''Blucher'', delaying the Nazi invasion.

* TheDutifulSon: Olav, who still argues with his father (and others) to the point where he can start seeming like a RebelPrince. See WellDoneSonGuy.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Crown Prince Olav clearly loves his father, but they spend a lot of the movie bickering and sniping, at least partly from stress. Haakon finally apologizes for [[spoiler:having made Olav heir to his throne as a toddler and given him [[{{Irony}} no choice]] in anything. Whereupon Olav says he ''does'' want to be king; he just doesn't want to be king the same way as his father]]. [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Haakon is entirely supportive of this]].

''The King's Choice'' is a 2016 film from Norway directed by Erik Poppe.

Meanwhile, the German envoy in Oslo, Curt Bräuer, is frantic. Bräuer, a career diplomat rather than a hardened Nazi, is desperate to avoid bloodshed. Bräuer hopes that Haakon VII will follow the example of his brother, King Christian X of Denmark, who capitulated within a couple of hours after the German entry into the country on April 9. However, his own country's brutishness makes Bräuer's job more difficult. A German bombing raid on Haakon VII's train makes him less willing to co-operate. Adolf Hitler's insistence that Haakon appoint [[TheQuisling Vidkun Quisling]], a traitor and Nazi stooge, to the post of prime minister, also makes Haakon reluctant. But Haakon's ministers are willing to talk turkey with the Germans in order to avoid bloodshed, leaving the king with a difficult choice.

* FisherKing: Haakon is aging and frail, in physical pain, and has 'senior moments' of scattered focus. The first shot has him self-blinded in the snow. Meanwhile, the Nazis are invading Norway. It seems highly uncertain he's in the kind of shape to cope with such a crisis. And [[spoiler: boy, oh boy, can he still bring it]]. Subverted.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Crown Prince Olav clearly loves his father, but they spend a lot of the movie bickering and sniping, at least partly from stress. Haakon finally apologizes for [[spoiler:having made Olav heir to a throne as a toddler and given him [[{{Irony}} no choice]] in anything. Whereupon Olav says he ''does'' want to be king; he just doesn't want to be king the same way as his father]]. [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Haakon is entirely supportive of this]].

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Haakon absolutely rips into [[spoiler:Bräuer in the film's climactic scene. It's more startling coming]] from [[BewareTheQuietOnes someone who's been so stoic and dignified up to then]].

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The 28cm MRK L/35 naval guns used by Norwegian defenders to sink the Blucher were purchased from Germany in 1893. Still proving very effective even after almost 50 years.

* {{Retraux}}: The opening sequence covering Haakon's arrival in Norway in 1905 to become king (he was actually from Denmark but was invited to be King of Norway when Norway gained independence) is shot to mimic an early silent film.

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: All the principals. Seeberg, the fresh-faced boy grieviously injured fighting the Germans at a roadblock, survived the war and was still alive when this movie was released in Norway. Curt Bräuer left government service and served on the Eastern Front as an ordinary soldier, spending nine years in Soviet prison camps before finally being sent home and surviving until 1969.

* WouldHitAGirl: Bräuer hauls off and slaps his wife hard after she punctures his attitude of diplomatic superiority and calls him a soldier of Hitler.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The 28cm MRK L/35 cannons used by Norwegian coastal defenses to sink the Blucher were purchased from Germany in 1893. Still proving very effective even after almost 50 years.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The 28cm MRK L/35 cannons used by Norwegian coastal defenses were purchased from Germany in 1893. Still proving very effective even after almost 50 years.

* TheGhost: Vidkun Quisling, who was such a contemptible traitor that [[TheQuisling he became a trope namer]]. Quisling and his Norwegian Nazis claim political power on April 9 but hardly anyone supports them. Haakon VII recoils at turning the country over to a Nazi stooge that the people don't taunt. Bräuer is also worried, because he knows that Quisling has virtually no support in Norway and Hitler's insistence on Quisling will make it much harder to get the Norwegians to surrender.

* MatchCut: From Bräuer walking away from his unsuccessful negotiations with King Haakon VII, to Haakon walking into a meeting with his government where he tells them German terms are inaccessible.

* EpicTrackingShot: A 2 1/2 minute tracking shot follows Bräuer from his private office, to the bullpen, to the foyer of the embassy, and out into the street. The camera is following Bräuer as he frantically strives to get the German army to halt so that Bräuer can negotiate with King Haakon VII.

* MatchCut: From Bräuer walking away from his unsuccessful negotiations with King Haakon VII, to Haakon walking into a meeting with his government where he tells them German terms are inaccessible.

* WilhelmScream: Heard from the German soldier that takes a bullet in the chest from Seeberg. Unfortunately for Seeberg that comes a moment after the German throws a grenade, which lands at Seeberg's feet and grievously injures him.
* WouldHitAGirl: Bräuer hauls off and slaps his wife hard after she punctures his attitude of diplomatic superiority and calls him a soldier of Hitler.

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: All the principals. Seeberg, the fresh-faced boy grieviously injured fighting the Germans at a roadblock, survived the war and was still alive when this movie was released in Norway. Curt Bräuer left government service and served on the Eastern Front as an ordinary soldier, spending nine years in Soviet prison camps before finally being sent home and surviving until 1969.

It recounts three tumultuous days in the history of Norway, April 8-11, 1940. King Haakon VII is unpleasantly surprised on April 8 to be told by his son, Crown Prince Olav, that the Germans [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII are invading]], based on reports of Nazi ships heading their way. On April 9 all doubt is removed as German troops begin landing in the country, while a German cruiser is sunk in Drobak Sound. The king and his family, which includes Olav, Olav's wife, and Olav's children, make a hurried departure north to stay ahead of the Nazis.

Meanwhile, the German envoy in Oslo, Curt Bräuer, is frantic. Bräuer, a career diplomat rather than a hardened Nazi, is desperate to avoid bloodshed. Bräuer hopes that Haakon VII will follow the example of his brother, King Christian X of Denmark, who capitulated within a couple of hours after the German entry into the country on April 9. However, his own country's brutishness makes Bräuer's job more difficult. A German bombing raid on Haakon VII's train makes him less willing to co-operate. Adolf Hitler's insistence that Haakon appoint [[TheQuisling Vidkun Quisling]], a traitor and Nazi stooge, to the post of prime minister, also makes Haakon reluctant. But Haakon's ministers are willing to talk turkey with the Germans in order to avoid bloodshed, leaving the king with a difficult choice.

* TheGhost: Vidkun Quisling, who was such a contemptible traitor that [[TheQuisling he became a trope namer]]. Quisling and his Norwegian Nazis claim political power on April 9 but hardly anyone supports them. Haakon VII recoils at turning the country over to a Nazi stooge that the people don't taunt. Bräuer is also worried, because he knows that Quisling has virtually no support in Norway and Hitler's insistence on Quisling will make it much harder to get the Norwegians to surrender.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: A point of dramatic tension. Haakon VII, as a constitutional monarch, actually is ''not'' supposed to do anything. But the rapidly unfolding events have him making big decisions regarding surrender or war, especially when Adolf Hitler orders Bräuer to negotiate only with Haakon VII rather than the prime minister or his cabinet.
* TheVoice: Bräuer takes a tense call from Nazi Foreign Minister Ribbentrop (who by the way was executed at Nuremberg in 1946). The call gets a lot more tense when Adolf Hitler himself gets on the line, much to Bräuer's shock.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: All the principals. Seeberg, the fresh-faced boy grieviously injured fighting the Germans at a roadblock, survived the war and was still alive when this movie was released in Norway. Curt Bräuer left government service and served on the Eastern Front as an ordinary soldier, spending nine years in Soviet prison camps before finally being sent home and surviving until 1969.