WALLANDER: FACELESS KILLERS
UK, 2010, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kenneth Branagh, Jeany Spark, Richard Mc Cabe, David Warner, Sarah Smart, Polly Hemingway.
Directed by Hetty Mac Donald.
Faceless Killers is the first film in the second series of Wallander, directed by the BBC. The films are based on the novels by Henning Mankell.
In this film, the focus is on a brutal murder which is attributed to foreigners. In the meantime, Wallander’s daughter is dating a Syrian doctor which surfaces doubts and some prejudice in Wallander’s own character. However, he combats this, especially when racist murders emerge and hate crimes as a result of the initial killings. While the focus of attention goes onto the racist killers, ultimately the killers are foreigners so that the film leaves the audience with an uneasy feeling about judgments and prejudices. In this film the focus is also on Wallander’s father, introduced in the third film of the first series, played effectively by David Warner. He is an artist whose mind is deteriorating and who finds himself hitchhiking on the road in his pyjamas, not wanting to go to an institution, his memory going but he is trying to paint.
1.The quality of the series, set in Sweden, filmed in Sweden? Drama, crime, mystery? Personal story?
2.The Swedish locations, the farm, the towns, police precincts and offices, the fair? The musical score? The title and the focus on the killers of the couple? On the hate killers?
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.The particular issue of guns, shooting a man dead and the consequences?
5.The initial murder, the old couple, the two masked men creeping up, the brutality of the killings, the bodies, found by the neighbour, his explanations? The background information about Lovgren? As a man, his child, his giving the money to the mother of the child, regularly for many years? Even with the death of the child? His treatment of his wife? Getting the money from the bank? His being tortured to reveal where the money was? Mrs Lovgren as a good woman? Her final word and its ambiguity?
6.The word, the letter F, as heard by Wallander, speculative, the word ‘foreigner’? As reported, Peter’s leaking the information? The arguments about the information and the possibility of hate crimes? The fact that they occurred? On the television, on the news? The phone calls to Wallander, the threats, the murders? The stolen car, the lead to one of the killers? Following him, the confrontation with the brains behind the plans, the guns? The shootout, the effect on Wallander?
7. Wallander and his staff, his assistant, morale with the group, his needing to have a rest, the good advice of his friend Nybergh, the offer for a pizza, telling him home truths? Wallander trying to cope, the authorities, the police personnel? The various personalities and their teamwork? Coping with the media?
8.Wallander and Linda, her Syrian doctor friend, the meal, the ambiguity of his reactions, Linda and her being upset, Wallander taciturn? His later comments to Nybergh about prejudice?
9.The interrogations, the doctor and his being able to translate for Wallander?
10.The expectations of hate crimes, their happening, the investigation, the shooting, Wallander suspended?
11.The bank, the CCTV, Wallander and his interrogations, identifying the criminals, seeing how they got the address from Lovgren? The fair, the wheel, the chase of the criminals, the shots, the arrests? The irony that the murders were done by foreigners?
12.Wallander’s father, his age, wandering, hitchhiking, in the hospital, talking, his relationship with Linda, the doctor? His statement that Wallander always avoided issues and ran away? His being resigned to going to an institution? His capacity to paint? Gertrude and her continued support?
13.A murder mystery which is entertaining but offers insight into social issues and human values?
