Ondskan (2003)

Director:

Mikael Håfström

Writers:

Jan Guillou (novel)
Hans Gunnarsson (writer)

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It's time to take a stand.

Plot:

Erik is expelled from school for fighting. He ends up at a private boarding school where the senior students control the young ones...

Plot Keywords:

Boarding School | Teen Violence | 1950s | Racist | Anti Semitism

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Andreas Wilson	...	Erik Ponti
Henrik Lundström	...	Pierre Tanguy
Gustaf Skarsgård	...	Otto Silverhielm
Linda Zilliacus	...	Marja
Jesper Salén	...	Dahlén
Filip Berg	...	Johan
Fredrik af Trampe	...	von Schenken
Richard Danielsson	...	Karlberg
Martin Svane	...	Leffler
Rustan Blomqvist	...	Bergvall
Peter Eggers	...	Von Rosen
Per Westergren	...	Lewenheusen
Henrik Linnros	...	Beijer
Theodor Hoffsten	...	Lagerros
Sanna Mari Patjas	...	Stina (as Sannamari Patjas)

Also Known As:

Evil (Canada: English title) (festival title) (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Ondskab (Denmark)

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence/gore, language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

Sweden | Denmark

Language:

Swedish | Finnish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Iceland:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | Australia:MA | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Filmhusateljéerna, Filmhuset, Svenska Filminstitutet, Gärdet, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

Moviola Film och Television AB

Trivia:

The movie is based on a novel by Jan Guillou. Jan Guillou attended a boarding school himself when he was a teenager and the novel is partly based on his own experiences.

Goofs:

Continuity: It is sometime after Christmas when Erik is trying to see the Finnish girl for the last time but there are yellow and falling leaves visible behind him.

Movie Connections:

References Das war unser Rommel (1953)

Totally gripping

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.