DVD Kongen av Bastøy

Very strong drama with also very believable acting, taking place on a prison island, from which no one ever has escaped. The strong discipline, the pecking order between inmates, harsh punishments when violating the rules, the religious beliefs of the governor, it is all there to support the main theme.

The newcomer takes the lead in the story very quickly, thereby guided with fantasies a la Moby Dick (Melville), about a whale that struggles nearly a day in spite of three harpoons. He has not learned to read or write, but finds a fellow inmate to take notes. Throughout the film we return to this theme several times. The way he describes the struggling whale, works like a metaphor and is very compelling.

Near the end I expected a destructive finale like in IF (1968, by Lindsay Anderson), but this time they found something different to wrap up the story, more in line with a Greek tragedy. Very well done. Do not expect a happy ending, as you won't get any. The final music, however, allowed me to leave the theater with a positive feeling, regardless of the foregoing nearly 2 hours without any happy events.

Norwegian producer and director Marius Holst's fourth feature film which was written by screenwriters Eric Schmid and Daniel Magnusson after a story by writers Lars Saabye Christensen and Mette M. Bølstad, is based on actual events which took place during the rebellion at Bastøy in late May 1915. It premiered in Norway, was screened and the opening film at the 34th Gothenburg International Film Festival in 2011, was shot on location in Estonia and is a Norway-France-Poland-Sweden co-production which was produced by Norwegian producer and director Karin Julsrud. It tells the story about 17-year-old Erling Kaspersen who during a cold winter in the early 20th century arrives at Bastøy Boys Home, a boarding school and correctional institution for maladjusted young boys with afflicting backgrounds which was, in order to isolate the boys from society, located at a remote island in the Oslofjord 4 km southeast of the coastal town and municipality Horten. After being placed by Governor Håkon in apartment C which is run by the tyrannic Housefather Braaten and named "C19", Erling befriends Olav "C1" who has lived at Bastøy for several years. Erling is determined to escape from the island, but as he becomes more aware of the staffs' mistreatment of the boys and learns from his friend Olav that the introverted and quiet boy Ivar is being molested by Housefather Braaten, he stays there to rebel against the injustice that is being conducted by the Governor and his assistants.

Precisely and engagingly directed by Norwegian filmmaker Marius Holst, this beautifully visualized and finely paced historic reconstruction of real events, draws an invariably moving portrayal of a young man in revolt who refuses to be subdued by exploitative authority figures who arrogantly informs him that their and his aim is to find the the honorable, humble and useful little Christian boy inside him. While notable for its fine milieu depictions, cinematography by Norwegian cinematographer John Andreas Andersen, production design by Polish production designer Janusz Sosnowski, costume design by costume designer Katja Watkins, film editing by Polish film editor Michal Leszczylowski and use of sound, colors and light, this narrative-driven and riveting humanistic drama about coming of age, friendship and malpractice within a state-financed reform school for young boys in South Norway, contains a significant atmosphere which is enriched by Swedish composer Johan Söderqvist's good score and the timeless sounds of Sigur Rós.

This poignant and echoingly heartrending retelling of an utterly dark chapter in Norwegian history which became the most expensive Norwegian film production since Norwegian filmmakers Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning's "Max Manus" (2008), depicts multiple studies of character, is narrated by one of the main character's and from various viewpoints and is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, subtle continuity, reverent style of filmmaking and the commendable and involving acting performances by Norwegian actors Benjamin Helstad, Trond Nilssen in his debut feature film role, Kristoffer Joner and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård. A memorable and one of the great Norwegian films which gained, among other awards, the Amanda Award for Best Norwegian Film In Theatrical Release, Best Score Johan Söderqvist and Best Supporting Actor Trond Nilssen at the 27th Amanda Awards in 2011.