Ondskan (2003)

Director:

Mikael Håfström

Writers:

Jan Guillou (novel)
Hans Gunnarsson (writer)
(more)

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:

Roommate | Whipping | Friendship | Father Son Conflict | Coming Of Age

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)
Johan Rabaeus	...	Erik's Stepfather
Marie Richardson	...	Erik's Mother
Magnus Roosmann	...	Tosse Berg
Ulf Friberg	...	Tranströmer
Mats Bergman	...	Melander
Lennart Hjulström	...	Headmaster Lindblad
Kjell Bergqvist	...	Ekengren
Björn Granath	...	Headmaster
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ruben Flam	...	Classmate
Danny Saucedo	...	Bully
Ludde von Brömsen	...	Gang Member
Petter Darin	...	Von Seth (uncredited)
Christian Hollbrink	...	Dinkelspiel (uncredited)

Directed by
Mikael Håfström

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jan Guillou		novel
Hans Gunnarsson		writer
Mikael Håfström		writer
Klas Östergren		uncredited

Produced by
Malte Forsell	....	line producer
Per Holst	....	co-producer
Ingemar Leijonborg	....	producer
Hans Lönnerheden	....	producer
H.P. Lundh	....	co-producer
Kim Magnusson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Francis Shaw

Cinematography by
Peter Mokrosinski

Film Editing by
Darek Hodor

Casting by
Maggie Widstrand

Production Design by
Anna Asp

Makeup Department
Karin Fahlén	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Frida Asp	....	production manager
Katarina Wiklund	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daniel Kong	....	assistant director
Jonas Overton	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Nalle Hansen	....	sound
Anders Hörling	....	sound
Camilla Mauritzson	....	sound editor
Dan Widegren	....	boom operator
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gusten Blick	....	special effects
Johan Harnesk	....	physical effects
Johan Harnesk	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Fredrik Nord	....	digital effects artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Björn Becker	....	best boy
Kobie Kentkuran	....	crane grip
Peter Kjellberg	....	best boy
Misio Mokrosinski	....	second assistant camera
Knut K. Pedersen	....	steadicam operator (as Knut Pedersen)
Nils Wallin	....	electrician (as Nisse Vallin)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Camilla Carlström	....	costumer
Lotta Garcia	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Pia Svedlund	....	negative cutter
Frederick Wibe	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Mikael Carlsson	....	executive soundtrack producer
Peter Juul Kristensen	....	score mixer

Other crew
Carin Anzelius	....	assistant location manager
Kerim Guner	....	production assistant
Lena Hansson	....	film consultant: Swedish Film Institute (as Lena Hansson-Varhegyi)
Marie Holhammar	....	unit publicist
Julia Lönnerheden	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Moviola Film och Television AB
• Nordisk Film/TV
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI)

Distributors

• Bir Film (2004) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (2003) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Nordisk Film Distributors (2003) (Finland) (all media)
• Eurocine Films (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2005) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Gemini Kinomir (2005) (Russia) (theatrical)
• MFA Filmdistribution (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Magnolia Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Minerva Pictures (Italy)
• Mokep Rt (Hungary)
• Nordisk Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• One Plus One (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2004) (Romania) (all media)
• Shani Films (Israel)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• VideoFilmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD) (VHS)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Panorama film & teatereffekter

Other Companies

• MovieScore Media  soundtrack

Also Known As:

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

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

Sweden | Denmark

Language:

Swedish | Finnish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | 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:

When Erik is on the train in the beginning he sees a little girl with a doll. That girl is Emma Håfström, daughter of director Mikael Håfström.

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 Windom's Way (1957)

Beyond the Limits of Cruelty

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")