Number 24 (or known as Nr. 24) is a true World War Two story following Gunnar Sønsteby, a man that supported the Norway resistance against the oppressive Nazis. The Germans never caught him, and his achievements were impressive, so much so that he presented lectures to students about his fight against oppressors.
However, the ending of Number 24 is not a big battle to force the Germans to surrender. It occurs in the present day when Gunnar Sønsteby is faced with an ultimate question by a persistent student during an emotional lecture: Were the deaths of Norwegians worth freedom?
Many Norwegians either were assassinated or died due to the cause of the Norway resistance. Some Norwegians joined Nazi ranks or “ratted out” civilians to provide Nazis intel to stop attacks.
The Final Question – Was Freedom Worth the Cost?
Of course, the student is coy, but she’s asking specific questions about Gunnar because her great-grandfather, Erling Solheim, was killed by the Norway resistance, led by Gunnar Sønsteby himself. During the movie, Gunnar wants to keep a memory of the war closed off forever. By coincidence, this student brings this memory back to the surface, which he vowed never to speak of again.
The film raises the true cost of freedom, especially during wartime, which Gunnar is firm on. And that’s a heavy theme throughout Number 24. Gunnar sacrificed life pleasures until his nation regained freedom from the oppressive Nazis. Sex, alcohol, women, money, brotherhood, socializing, etc. He suppressed them all for the greater good of freedom and, more importantly, freedom of speech.
His contributions to Norway and the Allies during World War Two are a significant part of history.
Number 24 highlights that when time passes, the human cost of war and the fight for freedom are perceived differently by the younger generations, which makes for uncomfortable viewing near the end of the movie. “Non-violence” is raised to Gunnar and even Gandhi. But it’s obvious those are not fair examples, and the expression etched on Gunnar’s face tells the ultimate story as he repeatedly tells them that “when they experience war, we can talk.”
What’s freedom worth? This question is posed to the viewer as much as Gunnar in the movie. And that’s when the ending of Number 24 presents an uncomfortable scenario for Gunnar Sønsteby: the female student reveals that a family member of hers, a Norwegian, was killed by the resistance. That person was Erling Solheim, Gunnar’s close friend, who was introduced at the movie’s start.
The Betrayal of Erling Solheim
Gunnar pretends he does not know of that name, but the film reveals that when the men briefly reconnected near the tail-end of World War Two, Erling sent a letter to the Gestapo, ratting out his friend Gunnar to the Nazis, and was willing to reveal Gunnar’s identity as he was behind many attacks against the regime in Oslo. The letter to the Gestapo was intercepted, and Gunnar was provided a directive: to assassinate his friend Erling Solheim.
Of course, Gunnar did not directly assassinate his friend, but his acquaintances did.
Why is the assassination of Erling Solheim important to the film? The movie suggests that Gunnar understood the human cost of war and fighting for freedom. He knew it would involve many deaths and potentially his own life. However, when he ordered his close friend to be assassinated, this one hit him hard. It demonstrates that war offers little grace or mercy, and Gunnar could not be selective in his choices. It was freedom or nothing at all. There was no in-between.
However, the film highlights that the weight of such decisions can remain with them until their death. Gunnar eventually sits down with the female student, and while we cannot hear their conversation, tears pour down Gunnar’s face. We can only assume that he decided to explain what happened to Erling Solheim, her family member.
The Beginning Ties to the End
And that’s why the beginning of Number 24 is as important as the end. The film starts in 1937: Gunnar and Erling are hiking and skiing together, and the rise of Nazism becomes the topic of conversation, alongside the prosecution of communists. Erling believes that there’s a price to pay for being a communist, and Gunnar is appalled his friend holds the view that “having an opinion” leads to persecution. He cannot believe his friend holds some support for Nazis, who oppress people and take away freedoms and freedom of speech. Erling does not understand the gravity of the conversation, but Gunnar does: he knows that freedom is at stake, which shapes him during World War Two.
But little did Gunnar Sønsteby know that his friend would still hold his ideological beliefs near the end of World War Two and, after a brief encounter, would betray him to the Nazis. Gunnar had to implement an act of war against a friend he grew up with. Number 24 highlights that the cost of freedom can be burdensome.
