"Mälarpirater," as in pirates of Lake Malar (or Mälaren, the third largest lake in Sweden, near Stockholm), is an adaptation of Sigfrid Siwertz's novel, and I suppose it may be compared to juvenile-oriented fiction in the English language, such as the likewise aquatic boyish adventure Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." It almost, or partly, works as a youthful, less dramatic variation on my favorite sort of Swedish silent films, of a battle between man and nature. Indeed, Gustaf Molander started in filmmaking writing screenplays for the two great practitioners of this Swedish genre, Victor Sjöström and Mauritz Stiller. These include great works such as "Terje Vigen" (1917) and "Sir Arne's Treasure" (1919). The cinematography here of the lake by Axel Lindblom is lovely, and there's a bit of stormy weather early on as well as more drama later over the boys' steering of their ship.
On land, some horseback riding aside, the film is less compelling, and the entire plot of the runaway orphans is episodic. A bit of horror parody, the depiction of the romantic life of children and the caricaturized portrayal of adults all falls flat. But, when the boys are having an adventure and battling the elements, it's fun and a nice picture to look at.
