WALLANDER: SKULDEN (GUILT)

Sweden, 2009, 90 minutes, Colour.
Krister Henriksson, Lena Endre.
Directed by Lief Magnusson.

Wallander: Skulden is the second in the second series of the Wallander telemovies starring Krister Henricksson as Kurt Wallander.

The film takes advantage of the city of Ystad and offers authentic locations. The film opens with the release of a paedophile from jail, his interview with his parole officer, his return home. He is also seen watching the children at the local school. The film then moves into the story of the disappearance of one of the children, the grief of his parents and older brother, the investigation and biased and prejudiced suspicions of the paedophile leading to graffiti, an attack on his house, stone-throwing which causes the death of his mother and leads to his own suicide.

However, the story takes us back to the family, the autopsy revealing some pharmaceuticals in the dead boy. Each of the parents is under suspicion but there is a final twist revealing what actually happened. It raises the issue of paedophiles and their threat as well as children who are jealous and vengeful and the consequences for their parents.

1. The effectiveness of the series? Henning Mankell’s novels, their adaptations, new stories? Characters, crimes, investigation, solving of mysteries?

2. The Swedish settings, the city of Ystad? Realism, homes, neighbourhoods? Authentic? The musical score?

3. Wallander as a character, his age and experience, his work, working hard, his associates and collaboration with them, the autopsy and the information, following hunches, interrogations?

4. The paedophile theme at the opening: the offender, discussions with his parole officer, his serving his sentence, saying that he was healed, but his continued watching the children, photo collection? At home, the lonely life with his mother? Her desperately supporting her son but mystified by him? Going out, watching the children at the school? The situation of the child’s disappearance, under suspicion, burning the photos? The police and the interrogation? The officer and his suspicions, presumption of guilt? The house being watched? The interviews with his mother? The raid on his shed, his working on the bike and their having to back down? The policeman and his bigotry? Making remarks to the locals, alarming about the safety of their children? Wallander asking him questions and his being evasive? The locals, the meetings, the complaints to the police, demonstrations? Graffiti on the offender’s house? The stones, his mother being hit, her dying? His killing himself? The officer’s reaction and his promising to investigate? Wallander and his sadness at these events?

5. The children at school, the supervisor, the phone call, her moving away, with the group? Her answering questions? Her running away, in the train, her fears for her boyfriend? The cap and throwing it out the train window? Suspicions? The police tracking her down? Her fear, revelation of why she concealed the phone call?

6. The parents, Albin’s birthday, the gift of the Playstation? The search, their grief? The visits of Wallander? The promises and hopes? The finding of the body, the autopsy, the mother identifying the body? Victor and his sadness?

7. The autopsy, the information about the pharmaceuticals, the further investigation?

8. The pharmaceutical theme, the wife and her taking tablets, the medicine chest? Adopting the boy from Poland? Finding him difficult? Taking tablets for her needs and depression? The husband, his work at the factory? The adoption story, her conceiving, giving birth to Albin? Loving both children?

9. Wallander and the search of the house, finding the pestle for the drugs? The separate interrogations? The father and his making a run? The mother and her strong stance? Audiences suspicious of each?

10. Wallander, meeting Victor, the truth, the re-enactment, the birthday, Victor jealous, Albin being selfish with the Playstation, Victor picking him up, taking him to the water, the struggle, his going into the water, Victor unable to pull him out?

11. Wallander hurrying to save the father, the mother and her declaration of love even though people would see Victor as a monster?

12. The credibility of the plot, its complexity?