The Simple-Minded Murder
Encyclopedia
The Simple-Minded Murder is a 1981 Swedish
drama film
directed by Hasse Alfredson, starring Stellan Skarsgård
, as the feeble-minded Sven Olsson.
, in Skåne to be more exact, and focuses on Sven, who is hare-lipped and therefore can't speak correctly. Most people consider him stupid
and call him an idiot.
The movie begins with Sven and a woman, whom we later learn is called Anna, driving in an old car through the landscape. The sun is setting and in the sky Sven sees three angels. He and Anna hides in an old house and while Anna makes herself comfortable Sven throws a huge, bloodstained blade in a well
. He lies down next to Anna and starts his inner monologue about how it all began.
When Svens mother dies he is "taken care of" by Höglund (Hans Alfredsson), an evil man and factory owner. He is a member of the local Nazi party and lives on a farm. Sven gets to work on Höglunds farm without pay and he has to sleep among the cows in the stables were he is tormented by a rat
. Being very goodhearted, Sven can't make himself drown the animal once he caught it. Because he simply can't take another life
.
Having read the bible, a gift from his sister, Sven imagine that he his visited by three angels from time to time, whom he speaks to in a clear voice. Making it clear that this dialog takes place in his own mind.
One day he mets the wheelchair
-bound Anna (Maria Johansson), who he falls in love with and after being to mistreated at Höglunds Sven escapes to Anna's family who gladly takes him in. At Annas house Sven is finally treated as an adult. He is given a real bed, he gets to work at their own farm and he is paid by Anna's father, Mr. Anderson (Per Myrberg
). "In real money", as he himself points out when Höglund comes and wants to take Sven back to his farm. Even though Andersson wins the argument Sven faints from fear.
For the money he makes the motor interested Sven decides to buy himself a motorcycle, a real Indian
. But Höglund, who now is out for revenge, pulls some strings and uses his contacts in order to make sure Sven can't have a driver's license
. After a long battle in the media, arranged by Anderson, Sven gets his license and starts to ride his motorcycle around town.
Höglund however, does not surrender that easily. The Anderssons' farm is set in financially crisis and Höglund's new chauffeur (Gösta Ekman
) steals Sven's motorcycle and destroys it.
Anna starts to scream at Sven, in her desperation giving him the blame for all that has happened. In anger Sven pushes her out of her wheelchair but immediately regrets his actions.
Being furious at Höglund and all the pain he has put Sven and his loved ones through Sven takes a blade
from one of Anderssons farming tools and marches off to Höglund's factory, followed by the three angels singing Verdi's Requiem
. After his attack on Höglund Sven steals the evil man's car and drives away with it, picking up Anna on the run and drives her to a deserted house where the movie began. It begins to dawn and the police starts to surround the building. The Anderssons beg for Sven's life. A couple of shots are heard and the film ends with a picture of the sun rising over the southern Swedish landscape.
at the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival
for his role as Sven.
The well-known Swedish film director
Ingmar Bergman
also enjoyed the movie. Calling it: "A deep indignation, turned into a powerful fairy-tale. Hasse Alfredssons resources seems unlimited and my admiration for his creativity and the wealth of his ideas are absolute".
Cinema of Sweden
Swedish cinema is known as producing many critically acclaimed movies, and during the 20th century was the most prominent of Scandinavia. This is largely due to the popularity and prominence of the directors Ingmar Bergman, Victor Sjöström, and more recently Lasse Hallström and Lukas...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Hasse Alfredson, starring Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan John Skarsgård is a Swedish actor, known internationally for his film roles in Angels & Demons, Breaking the Waves, The Hunt for Red October, Ronin, Good Will Hunting, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...
, as the feeble-minded Sven Olsson.
Plot
The story takes place in 1930's SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, in Skåne to be more exact, and focuses on Sven, who is hare-lipped and therefore can't speak correctly. Most people consider him stupid
Stupidity
Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, wit, or sense. It may be innate, assumed, or reactive - 'being "stupid with grief" as a defence against trauma', a state marked with 'grief and despair...making even simple daily tasks a hardship'....
and call him an idiot.
The movie begins with Sven and a woman, whom we later learn is called Anna, driving in an old car through the landscape. The sun is setting and in the sky Sven sees three angels. He and Anna hides in an old house and while Anna makes herself comfortable Sven throws a huge, bloodstained blade in a well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
. He lies down next to Anna and starts his inner monologue about how it all began.
When Svens mother dies he is "taken care of" by Höglund (Hans Alfredsson), an evil man and factory owner. He is a member of the local Nazi party and lives on a farm. Sven gets to work on Höglunds farm without pay and he has to sleep among the cows in the stables were he is tormented by a rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
. Being very goodhearted, Sven can't make himself drown the animal once he caught it. Because he simply can't take another life
KILL
KILL is the sixth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six.In initial press releases, the band described the album as being a return to a sound more akin to their debut album, but this was later revealed by front-man Dick Valentine to be more gimmick than truth.An explicit video was released for...
.
Having read the bible, a gift from his sister, Sven imagine that he his visited by three angels from time to time, whom he speaks to in a clear voice. Making it clear that this dialog takes place in his own mind.
One day he mets the wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-bound Anna (Maria Johansson), who he falls in love with and after being to mistreated at Höglunds Sven escapes to Anna's family who gladly takes him in. At Annas house Sven is finally treated as an adult. He is given a real bed, he gets to work at their own farm and he is paid by Anna's father, Mr. Anderson (Per Myrberg
Per Myrberg
Per Nils Myrberg is a Swedish singer and actor.Born in Stockholm, Myrberg has appeared in 45 films since 1957. He is father to Olle and Fredrik Myrberg.-Selected filmography:* The Judge * The Pleasure Garden...
). "In real money", as he himself points out when Höglund comes and wants to take Sven back to his farm. Even though Andersson wins the argument Sven faints from fear.
For the money he makes the motor interested Sven decides to buy himself a motorcycle, a real Indian
Indian (motorcycle)
Indian is an American brand of motorcycles. Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Manufacturing Company in 1928. The Indian factory team took the...
. But Höglund, who now is out for revenge, pulls some strings and uses his contacts in order to make sure Sven can't have a driver's license
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
. After a long battle in the media, arranged by Anderson, Sven gets his license and starts to ride his motorcycle around town.
Höglund however, does not surrender that easily. The Anderssons' farm is set in financially crisis and Höglund's new chauffeur (Gösta Ekman
Gösta Ekman
Hans Gösta Gustaf Ekman is a Swedish actor.-Biography:One of Sweden's most appreciated, respected and popular actors; Gösta Ekman started his career in theatre but has also appeared in several Swedish films, including the Jönssonligan series...
) steals Sven's motorcycle and destroys it.
Anna starts to scream at Sven, in her desperation giving him the blame for all that has happened. In anger Sven pushes her out of her wheelchair but immediately regrets his actions.
Being furious at Höglund and all the pain he has put Sven and his loved ones through Sven takes a blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...
from one of Anderssons farming tools and marches off to Höglund's factory, followed by the three angels singing Verdi's Requiem
Requiem (Verdi)
The Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral mass for four soloists, double choir and orchestra. It was composed in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italian poet and novelist much admired by Verdi. The first performance in San Marco in Milan on 22 May...
. After his attack on Höglund Sven steals the evil man's car and drives away with it, picking up Anna on the run and drives her to a deserted house where the movie began. It begins to dawn and the police starts to surround the building. The Anderssons beg for Sven's life. A couple of shots are heard and the film ends with a picture of the sun rising over the southern Swedish landscape.
Cast
- Stellan SkarsgårdStellan SkarsgårdStellan John Skarsgård is a Swedish actor, known internationally for his film roles in Angels & Demons, Breaking the Waves, The Hunt for Red October, Ronin, Good Will Hunting, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...
as Sven - Maria JohanssonMaria JohanssonMaria Johansson is a former female boxer who is the daughter of Sweden's first and, so far, only, world Heavyweight boxing champion, Ingemar Johansson....
as Anna - Hans AlfredsonHans AlfredsonHans Folke "Hasse" Alfredson is a Swedish actor, film director, writer and comedian. He was born in Malmö, Sweden. He is known for his collaboration with Tage Danielsson...
as Höglund - Per MyrbergPer MyrbergPer Nils Myrberg is a Swedish singer and actor.Born in Stockholm, Myrberg has appeared in 45 films since 1957. He is father to Olle and Fredrik Myrberg.-Selected filmography:* The Judge * The Pleasure Garden...
as Andersson - Lena-Pia Bernhardsson as Mrs. Andersson
- Nils Ahlroth as Månsson
- Lars AmbleLars AmbleLars Anders Amble-Næss is a Swedish actor and director. He is son to Leif Amble-Næss and Maritta Marke. After finishing theater school in Stockholm 1963-65, he was hired by the Royal Dramatic Theater until 1969, after which he has played parts in various theater plays, musicals, TV shows and...
as Bengt - Carl-Åke Eriksson as Wallin
- Cecilia Walton as Vera
- Wallis Grahn as Mrs. Höglund
- Else-Marie Brandt as Sven's mother
- Gösta EkmanGösta EkmanHans Gösta Gustaf Ekman is a Swedish actor.-Biography:One of Sweden's most appreciated, respected and popular actors; Gösta Ekman started his career in theatre but has also appeared in several Swedish films, including the Jönssonligan series...
as The new driver - Carl Billquist as Flodin
- Lena NymanLena NymanAnna Lena Elisabet Nyman was a Swedish film and stage actress.Having had her first film roles in 1955, Nyman had a role in Vilgot Sjöman's 491 and got her breakthrough in his I Am Curious , where she, in pseudo-documentary fashion, played a character of the same name as herself, and its sequel I...
as Woman without legs - Björn AndrésenBjörn AndresenBjörn Johan Andrésen is a Swedish actor and musician. He is best known for playing the fourteen-year-old Tadzio in Luchino Visconti's 1971 film adaptation of the Thomas Mann novella Death in Venice....
as Angel
Awards & Reception
The film was loved by critics and viewers alike. It won, among other things, three guldbagge for Best Director (Hans Alfredsson), Best Movie and Best Actor (Stellan). Stellan also won the Silver Bear for Best ActorSilver Bear for Best Actor
The Silver Bear for Best Actor is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actor.- Awards :- External links :*...
at the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival
32nd Berlin International Film Festival
The 32nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 12 to February 23, 1982.-Jury:* Joan Fontaine * Vladimir Baskakov* Brigitte Fossey* Joe Hembus* László Lugossy* Gian Luigi Rondi* Helma Sanders-Brahms...
for his role as Sven.
The well-known Swedish film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
also enjoyed the movie. Calling it: "A deep indignation, turned into a powerful fairy-tale. Hasse Alfredssons resources seems unlimited and my admiration for his creativity and the wealth of his ideas are absolute".
Trivia
- The story is based on a short chapter in Hasse's book "'En Ond man'" (An Evil Man). The chapter was called "Idiotens Berättelse" (The Idiot's story) and was an inner monologueMonologueIn theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
held by the then nameless narrator. - Another inspiration for the movie came when Hasse first heard Requiem by Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
. A piece of music, he found very powerful and he knew he wanted to use that in a movie - In preparation for the role as the evil Höglund Hasse used to curseProfanityProfanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
and stamp on the ground in order to get really angry. - Hasse has stated in an interview that the character of Sven is loosely based on a real person, named Hans, whom he once knew. Höglund is also based on a real person and a scene from the movie, when Höglund throws a poor farmers money into the fireplaceFireplaceA fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
on christmas eveChristmas EveChristmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
is based on a true story.