WALLANDER: FORSVUNNEN/ MISSING/THE DISAPPEARED

Sweden, 2009, 90 minutes, Colour.
Krister Henriksson, Charlotta Jonsson, Douglas Johansson, Matts Bergman, Fredrik Gunnarsson, Malena Engstrom, Gustaf Hammarsten.
Directed by Leif Magnusson.

In the Swedish version of Wallander, Krister Henriksson plays Wallander in twenty-six episodes, the first in 2005, the second in 2009/10. He is a contrast with Kenneth Branagh who portrayed Wallander in six British/Swedish telemovies.

The Swedish film is much more ordinary in its presentation of police work in Sweden, contrasting with the Branagh version where he is a tortured soul and the film focuses on his own personal crises, relationship with his father and his daughter, his anguishing over his work and its implications.

Wallander seems a much more ordinary person in this film, laughing a great deal more than does his Branagh counterpart. The team is there working with him as well.

The films are interesting police stories in themselves, as well as Swedish interpretations of the novels by Henning Mankell.

1. Audience interest in the novels of Henning Mankell? The film versions? British? Swedish?

2. The conventions of the police investigation? In the Swedish setting? Police precincts, task forces, investigations?

3. The Swedish settings, the town, homes, shops, the woods? the musical score?

4. The character of Wallander, audience familiarity, his age, experience, skill in police work? His divorce? His daughter working in the office, sharing in
the investigations? His return from suspension? The collaboration with the other officers? The secretary, seeming to ignore him, giving him the bun? The authorities and putting him back into investigations?

5. The basic situation? The Latin American husband, delivering the daughter, the wife and her antagonism, the little girl going to school, riding the bike, getting off, going into the woods, with the sweet from Victor? The bike thrown into the lake, the search for it and finding it? The girl’s disappearance?

6. Suspicions of the father, the divorce, his wanting sole custody, his wife’s opposition? His cousin, the house and the search? The husband and his plan to go to Chile with his daughter? The tickets?

7. Victor, his shop, greeting the girls? His later help in finding the girls? The revelation of his relationship with Helen? Her visits? Her death?

8. Helen, the daughters, her husband, the divorce, custody issues? Her saying she did not hear the phone, her being with the Victor? Participating in the search? Discovered dead?

9. Wallander and his insights? The case some years earlier, going to see the mother, her bitterness towards him because of his accusations? Her being freed? Allegations that she had tortured her daughter? Her participating in the search? The issue of the teeth and the bites?

10. The police, suspicions of the woman, wanting to arrest her, the interrogations? Her having a list of paedophiles? Her attack on the cook – and Wallander interviewing him, praising him for his settling down, rehabilitation? His advice about the abduction?

11. Linda, in the house, taken by Victor, bound and put in plastic? The noise for help? Her father finding her, rescuing her?

12. Victor, his abducting the girl years earlier, keeping her in the cellar, her being discovered, her health, reunited with her mother, coming home?

13. The little girl being found, her fear, running away?

14. Confronting Victor, is slashing his throat?

15. More straightforward crime story? The investigation? The perpetrator?