Ondskan

I have lately been trawling through Swedish movies, in an effort to watch as many as I can. I have not yet come across one that I didn't at least appreciate. The Scandinavians are remarkable story-tellers, and can teach the rest of the world a thing or two about good story-telling in film. What surprises me the most is why it is the rest of the world does not know about and applaud this film. As an examination of bullying and abuse it is extraordinary.

"Ondskan" is the story of one teenage boy's experiences of bullying - both as a perpetrator and also from the receiving end - firstly at the hands of his bitter & twisted stepfather, then in the school-yard at his high school, and lastly at an exclusive boarding school to which he is sent by his mother. It is a highly charged movie, and will be too much for some more sensitive viewers, but tells a very important story of how it is bullying is perpetrated, justified, institutionalised, and then passed on so that the behaviour continues.

There is little to place this story in an historical context other than the music and the rather odd dress of the late 1950's. The culture of the school to which Erik Ponti is sent is one in which the members of the Council - the Boss Boys - ritually bully the younger boys, and the school staff turn a blind eye. To fight back by striking a Council member is to invite expulsion, and Erik cannot risk this. Andreas Wilson has a strong presence, and is believable as Erik, and Henrik Lundstrom, who plays the sensitive Pierre, is worthy of mention also. I came across this movie because I was searching for movies featuring Gustaf Skarsgard. In "Ondskan" Skarsgard plays the student we all want to hate - the top bully - and he does it well. Later in the movie we are given a brief insight into what drives him, and the degree of pain he experiences on a daily basis. Great writing!!

The only real gripe I had while watching this film was the swimming style of Erik's character. He was meant to be a top swimmer, and yet while doing freestyle his arms barely managed to get out of the water. With a swimming stroke like that he'd never make it to be top swimmer at any school. Picky, I know, but it bothered me.

If I could give this film 12 stars I would.

I was amazed at how excellent this film was. I just did not expect much and I was blown away. My first Mikael Hafstrom film was Derailed which also surprised me. It was not a great film but it was very good and much better than the general reviews that it garnered. It made me curious about Evil and I just cannot recommend this film enough. Andreas Wilson is terrific as the "title" character and the way his character develops is quite different from the way one might expect. You will be rooting for him to overcome the cruelty and evil that surrounds him throughout the film. If you enjoy coming of age tales do not miss this masterpiece. I look forward to Mr. Hafstroms future films. "1408" is up next and it sounds terrific.

One more thing, I just finished watching Saint Ralph and would highly recommend watching it as a double feature with "Evil". They really play well together.

I would recommend Ondskan to anyone who is interested in coming-of-age films. American cinema has always been expert at such portrayals, and it is good to see so accomplished an example out of Sweden. I liked especially the fact that the director never wavers as he unmasks the unwholesome face of an angst-ridden, violence-prone, socially intransigent Swedish society of the not so long ago . Set in the fifties, mostly at a posh boarding school for the upper-class, where the sixth-form boys, led by an effete Swedish aristocrat, go about enforcing their arbitrary and violent rules while the faculty turn a blind eye, this film cleverly avoids the hooks, punches and triumphs of the underdog come to grips with the jack-booted status quo via his fists alone by allowing him to prevail to justice through the implementation of Swedish law. There are enough fisticuffs along the way, however, to satisfy the blood-thirsty among you. Well-acted, good script, beautiful cinematographic moments.

In Sweden, Erik Ponti (Andreas Wilson) is the son of a remiss mother, and his stepfather gives sadistic beatings on him, using the most futile pretexts, without any interference of his mother. His dysfunctional family makes him a very violent teenager, culminating with his expulsion from the public school system in Sweden, due to a fight and aggression against another pupil. His mother sells some belongings of her and sends him to the elitist private school of Stjärnberg, as his last chance to complete his basic education. However, behind the name of the expensive and conservative school, there is a code of (dis)honor among the students, where the younger and those who belong to the lower social classes are humiliated by the veterans and those who belong to the high social classes without any questioning of the director. Erik feels like in hell while studying in Stjärnberg.

"Evil" is a stunning movie, which shows the danger of the power in wrong hands. Indeed, it is a psychological study of violence, which leads to cruelty. It explains the social behavior of, for example, street children in Brazil, who are sent very young to state reformatories and become cruel criminals when adults. The story is very engaging and the performance of the cast is outstanding, highlighting Andreas Wilson and his greatest opponent, the sadistic Otto Silverhielm (Gustaf Skarsgard). This movie shakes the viewers and in the end, we are cheering to Erik's revenge, wishing him to kill his aggressors, in a total inversion of the moral values. The DVD released by the Brazilian distributor VF Vídeo Filmes shows also a total lack of respect with the Brazilian consumers: in the Extras, there is an interview in Swedish with the director Mikael Häfström and the making-of, both without sub-titles, as if Brazilian people could understand this language. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Evil – Raízes do Mal" ("Evil – Roots of Evil")

Erik Ponti(Andreas Wilson) is a young trouble maker who is constantly abused by his stepfather and often ignored by his mother. After a fight in his school, Eric gets enrolled in a boarding school by his mother. At the new school, Erik only makes one good friend Pierre(Henrik Lundström) but their lives slowly start falling apart when the older boys from the school make a pact to make Erik's life a living hell. This was a very gripping and disturbing movie. I saw this at the Vancouver Film Festival and enjoyed it quite a lot. Andreas Wilson is a gorgeous and talented young man and I hope he becomes big someday. I would give Ondskan or also known as "Evil" 8/10.