WALLANDER: BEFORE THE FROST

UK, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kenneth Branagh, Jeany Spark, Mamie Mc Coy, Lindsay Duncan.
Directed by Charles Martin.

Wallander is one of a series of television movies based on Henning Menkel’s celebrated detective, Kurt Wallander. The novels have been translated and published all around the world. They have a certain grimness about them, the rather world-weary character of Wallander himself, his relationship with his father, an artist who is experiencing dementia, alienation from his wife, the difficult relationship with his daughter. However, this film has a much more cheerful Wallander, anticipating the birth of his daughter’s child.

The film uses Swedish locations very effectively and creates the mood of Scandinavia. Kenneth Branagh is very good in the role, one can empathise with him and his feelings of depression, being overwhelmed, but much more genial here.

1. The popularity of the Wallander series? Kenneth Branagh in the title role? This is the ninth film?

2. The quality of the series, set in Sweden, filmed in Sweden? Drama, crime, mystery? Personal story?

3. Kenneth Branagh as Wallander, age, appearance, his being an interior man, morose, strong sense of duty, dedicated and relentless, his work as the superior officer, severity, his skills in detection, confrontations?

4. Audience understanding of Wallander, his detective work, the past with his marriage and its collapse, the tense relationships with his daughter, Linda?

5. This film as a more cheerful film, at work, his relationship with his daughter, helping her, her pregnancy? Going to the scan with his daughter? The joy of being a grandfather?

6. The Swedish settings, cold, home, police officers? The woods? The musical score?

7. The swans, the arsonist, setting fire to them, seeing them fly on fire? The finding of the Bible, the apocalypse? The woman, the accident of her being in the woods, her concern, her being murdered, buried?

8. As a story, the friendship with Linda in the past, while denying her? Her religious father, madness, his leaving? Anna and her relationship with her mother? Wallander going to see her, discussions with her? The husband leaving, returning, his hold over Anna, her disappearance? The family gathering, the table, the discussion? The interviews with Monika? The table and the talk, the challenge to Anna’s father, reactions?

9. The staff, the investigation of the fire in the forest, the swans, the murdered woman? Her family and having to break the bad news? Grief?

10. The swans, the man from the institution, religious motivation, his killing, setting them on fire? Apprehension?

11. Linda, the previous antagonism towards her father, her getting married, the news of her pregnancy, the visit to the clinic, the ultrasound?

12. A minor story, the solving the mystery, Wallander less morose, happier, his future?