The Secret Identity of the Heart

Author(s): Ryne
Location: OR

"The Secret Identity of the Heart"

Directed by Paul Haggis
Written by Eric Roth and Paul Haggis

Main Cast

Mads Mikkelsen as Cpl. Iver Bidsby (Anges Haswell)
Devid Striesow as Sgt. Emil Tabor
Diane Kruger as Sophie Becker
Chris Cooper as Gen. Peter Tordenskjold
John Malkovich as Herluf Zahle
Robert Carlyle as Adolf Hitler

Tagline: "Even Our Biggest Secrets Can Become Reality"

Synopsis: At 4:15 on the morning of April 9, 1940, German forces crossed the border into neutral Denmark. Denmark was thought not to give much struggle, but when the Nazis came to the city of Copenhagen, the Danish resistance began. Throughout the battle for Copenhagen, friendships were tested, loyalties were tried, and freedom was fought for.

Cpl. Iver Bidsby (Mikkelsen) would do anything for his country. That is why when his commanding general, Peter Tordenskjold (Cooper), came to him several months before the invasion about a special assignment, he quickly accepted. To Iver, the security of Denmark from the Nazi is worth the sacrifice of his identity. Taking the alias Anges Haswell, Iver joins the North German army. He is to send any important information he overhears straight to the Danish ambassador, Herluf Zahle (Malkovich), in Berlin. During his first month in the North German army, Iver meets Sgt. Emil Tabor and the two become good friends. Iver struggles with lying to Emil about his identity, but he is somehow able to keep from being too attached to Emil.

Gen. Peter Tordenskjold (Cooper) is the commanding general of the Danish troops sent to protect Copenhagen. He does not expect to defeat the Nazis, but he hopes to significantly weaken the North German army so they cannot proceed to neighboring Sweden. Tordenskjold believes victory is in the eye of the beholder and to him victory is never letting up.

Herluf Zahle is a strong believer in the German-Danish treaty of non-aggression signed in 1939 and breaking Denmark's neutrality merits full scale war against the Germans. Days before the invasion of Copenhagen, Zahle meets with Adolf Hitler (Carlyle) and warns him how the full strength of the Danish army will be waiting. Hitler chooses to ignore him.

Sophie Becker (Kruger) is a stay at home mother of an eight year old boy, Jakab, and a four year old girl, Mari. Her husband works as a chemical engineer on the north side of Copenhagen. Her brother, a member of the military, mysteriously vanished several months ago and is presumed dead. Sophie took her brothers death hard, but she acts strong in front of her children to calm the tragedy in their lives. When the Nazis enter Copenhagen early that April morning, Sophie's husband has already left for work leaving her and the child alone to escape the Nazis.

The invasion of Copenhagen will intertwine the stories of Iver returning home to find his loyalties tested, Emil realizing there is more to Anges than meets the eye, Iver's reaction to Emil learning the truth, Gen. Tordenskjold heroically leading his men against the Nazis, Herluf fighting the Nazi government in Berlin and Sophie discovering her brother alive, but a different person.

What the Press would say:

Ending a series featuring "The Winter War" and "Fire of the Sun" is a difficult task, but I'm here to say, the final chapter in Paul Haggis' epic World War 2 trilogy is a triumph for filmmaking. Chronicling the Invasion of Copenhagen, Haggis proves he is one of the great directors of our age with this brilliant film. Both Haggis and Eric Roth write a screenplay that is once again tremendous. The different stories work together like clockwork, which allows the actors to give their best effort. Mads Mikkelsen is very believable and real in his portrayal of Iver. Being a native of Denmark, Mikkelsen has no problem with this role in a nearly flawless performance. Iver's return to Denmark is some of the most emotional scenes in the movie. Mikkelsen perfectly portrays Iver's struggle staying loyal to a life he previously know. It is one of the best performances of the year. In the supporting roles, Diane Kruger, Devid Striesow, and John Malkovich give stunning performances in their respective roles. Diane Kruger has made leaps and bounds in her performance as Sophie. Kruger proves as the movies goes on, there is more behind Sophie than just a pretty face. Sophie is a troubled woman, but hides it behind a smile. Kruger exceeds far and away from what I thought she could do. Her best scene takes place when she realizes her brother, Iver, went undercover for the Danish army. Know best for his role in "The Counterfeiter", Devid Striesow gives a very solid performance as Emil. His performance is part of the reason "The Secret Identity of the Heart" moving along smoothly. John Malovich blows my mind in his few scenes as the Danish ambassador Herluf Zahle. He commands the film and everything else seems irrelevant whenever he graces the screen. Herluf attempts to make a difference in a world filled with prejudice, but his attempts get no where. It took Malovich a wide range of emotion to pull of this role and he succeeds on every level. Overall, "The Secret Identity of the Heart" a modern masterpiece that is sure to make noise come awards season.

FYC:

Best Picture
Best Director (Paul Haggis)
Best Actor (Mads Mikkelsen)
Best Supporting Actor (John Malovich)
Best Supporting Actress (Diane Kruger)
Best Original Screenplay