L'uomo sul tetto

This is director Widerberg's widely acclaimed first action film, based on a crime story by famous Swedish writers Sjowall/Wahloo. It's a complex story, involving both the frantic efforts to stop a man from shooting people from a roof top, and the bit by bit revelations of why he's doing it.

Widerberg could make movies, in this and other genres, and this time he was praised for accomplishing what many regarded as the first Swedish action film, which did not look like high school work, even in an international comparison.

A lot of effort was put into it, involving large parts of Stockholm city at the time, and countless citizens volunteering as extras. It got to be much larger than the movie team had anticipated, but Widerberg managed to be creative about that chaotic situation, giving the film a sense of documentary, of not being fiction at all. Of course that heightened the suspense, and made its social message more urgent.

This film is still, 25 years later, probably one of the best action films ever made in Sweden. The almost documentary style of shooting, the superb naturalistic performances, gives the movie its immediacy and urgency (The editing of the helicopter sequence is absolutely superb) - the sense that this is actually happening, as opposed to the dreadful American actionmovie stylization that dominates Swedish film-making nowadays (Nolltolerans, Hassle-förgörarna, Hamilton, the list goes on). Swedish directors should take a long, hard look at this movie, and hopefully get a clue as to what works and makes a movie believable, instead of trying to emulate an American-type of movie-making.

Uncharacteristicly excellent crafted action film that takes a frank look at the horrors of Police corruption. Well thought out story with terrific action set pieces. A fine example of Swedish filmmaking in the 1970s. Its about an investigation into the murder of a high ranking Policeman who is found out was corrupt and sadistic. The murder sequence at the beginning is brutal and gory. Done with good scenes of Police procedural by Bo Widerberg.

Mannen Pa Taket/The Man on the Roof(1976) has something which many high Hollywood films of today do not have and that is brains. Carl Gustaf Lindstedt gives a fine performance as DT. Martin Beck. The climax is nail biting and realistic. The last act of Mannen Pa Taket(1976) also has its share of humor. The scenes involving a sniper in the final act might have influenced a similar scene in the opening moments of God Told Me To(1977). The Man on the Roof(1976) is a neglected action classic that should find its way on DVD someday.

Wow! I wasn't expecting this - a sober, detailed, semi-documentary study of police investigation and tactics from, of all people, Bo Widerberg?!

I am astonished to say that this is a remarkably realistic and believable film and, as another viewer suggested, should be viewed by current filmakers as a prime reference for how films in this genre can be successfully approached. This truly ranks with the best American crime/police films of the 70's (and soars above all their pale French imitations), though it may lack the visceral impact of DIRTY HARRY or a character as indelible as Popeye Doyle. But character development is not really the film's focus; it is getting the details right - which it does - of the methodical police investigation of a murder and then their forced tactical response to a sniper. In doing this Widerberg and co. avoid a number of cliches and dramatic pitfalls that have plagued other films and television dramas working this turf over the last 40 years. These include cowboy heroics by "rogue" cops, an over-reliance on police jargon (that supposedly lets us know we are "inside the world" of police work), allowing interpersonal melodramas between characters to blur the focus of the story (i.e. catching the criminal), and, of course, the now ritual abuse of explosions, car chases, and machine-gun editing (to supposedly heighten our excitement). There are also no cartoonish twisted-genius serial killers masterminding absurd plot twists. Here the killer is as unspectacular, and as understandable (although we never meet him) as the men pursuing him. It is also remarkable how characters casually enter into the film as they enter the investigation - no one emerges as THE hero - everyone just does his job. And Widerberg is so effective at focusing us on the quiet, "routine" details of how the case develops that when violence erupts in the later part of the film it is truly startling. The scenes of panicking crowds have an unsettling documentary feel. The police response to this threat is, again, restrained, unspectacular (all right the helicopter attack may be pushing it a bit) and intensely dramatic for just that reason (no bells or whistles required). When the criminal is finally stopped it is almost anti-climatic (no drawn-out battles to the death, no swelling music) and this is as it should be for the world remains the same, evil still exists, and the job goes on. Can't wait to see MAN FROM MALLORCA. 9 out of 10.

In the 60s I was very keen on Swedish films and especially Ingmar Bergman like The Virgin Spring (1960) and The Silence (1963) but also Bo Widerberg like of Love 65 (1965) and really Elvira Madigan (1967) but probably never seen this before. It is wonderful, not so much an art movie, but really well done. At first there is a surprising killing and then, perhaps even more of a lot which seems to relate to Police corruption, and how. They are telling us of a terrible story and then not just the death of a Policeman but more to come, of course, on the roof. Some of the people not actors and the mix does well as it is so thrilling. At the very end maybe it doesn't seem quite as realistic but it is all together splendid.