Basically, it’s not just about the crimes, but the setting in which they’re committed, as the source novels apparently have much to say about the changing socioeconomic climate of Sweden as contrasted with the gruesome, almost otherworldly murders concocted by the writers. In one episode, a rape victim douses herself with gasoline and torches herself in front of Wallander in the middle of a beautiful field of flowers. In another, a victim’s eyes are burned out with acid. The series never shies away from showing the explicit physical results of the murders, but also does a fine job of vividly establishing a strong sense of the place they’re committed.
The new two-disc DVD box set includes all three feature-length Wallander episodes produced to date, along with a healthy assortment of bonus features. In the longest feature, a fellow crime-fiction writer visits the real world settings in Ystad used in the novels before sitting down with original author Mankell for an in-depth conversation about his history and motivation as well as the larger picture of the monumental changes in Sweden during his lifetime, from the murders of two prime ministers to the country’s failure to properly integrate immigrants allowed such free entry into their country via its Utopian ideals. In another feature, Branagh and Mankell sit down to discuss the Wallander character. All of the features are insightful and above-par, well worth watching for viewers interested in the character or just additional perspective on the country of Sweden .
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
I have these on DVD and have been meaning to check them out. Thanks for the reminder