'The King of Devil's Island' tells a familiar story of the abuse of authority, in it's portrayal of the life in a tough boys' prison in early 20th century Norway. More unusually, there's no story of tyranny among the inmates themselves, and moreover, the staff are quietly evil: the child abuser, and the governor who turns a blind eye while simultaneously believing that his regime is morally improving. Indeed, for a story of harshness and death, the film could be considered understated, except for the powerful melodrama of its climax, which is well-earned by the lower key, but convincing, material that proceeds it. And like other Scandanavian movies, it gains power through the sheer fact of the climate: when folly could mean freezing to death, there's an underlying seriousness absent in more clement environments.
32 Reviews
When religious chastity and austerity were considered as a correctional measure...
BeneCumb12 April 2013
Based on true events, this one of the most expensive Norwegian (+Swedish, Estonian) film was shot primarily in my home country - thus, apart from a good film experience, I had a joy of recognition vis-a-vis places and actors (although Estonian ones had mute or 1-2 word roles only). Anyway, the Norwegian background and spirit with gloom and misery in a closed penal institution were well captured, and all the leading characters were skillfully elaborated and performed (especially Stellan Skarsgård as Håkon, Benjamin Helstad as Erling "C19", Trond Nilssen as Olav "C1"). Most of the screenplay is focused, however, on the "normal" routine in the establishment, boys versus staff, the rebellion itself and its consequences are shown in a limited time and space (I would have liked to know what happened to the revolting boys, and how the usual living was restored).
Nevertheless, Kongen av Bastøy is a strong drama, giving food for thought long after the credits disappear.
Nevertheless, Kongen av Bastøy is a strong drama, giving food for thought long after the credits disappear.
Really solid, well acted, well filmed, and well-worn turf...
secondtake17 June 2012
King of Devil's Island (2010)
A very straight forward, hard hitting, well acted account based on a true story of a boy's penal colony on a Norwegian Island early in the 20th Century.
That says it all. It is what it is, and there is the almost inevitable rebel and leader among the boys against the sometimes evil, sometimes indifferent adults who rule the group with false benevolence. You know who is right and who is wrong, and you follow the plot with a mixture of expectation and outrage. It's dramatic great stuff. Yes, been there and seen that somehow before, but it's severe and beautiful in its setting and intense and provocative within.
It might be interesting to compare this to more famous prison movies (the dubious "Shawshank" and earlier classics like "Birdman from Alcatraz") to realize how much this one is holding to a line of truth. As much as the events are extreme (eventually), the filmmaking is filled with restraint. Compare further to a movie like "Shutter Island" and you know that this one is practically a grey, subdued documentary.
And this is to its advantage. It's not a mind-blowing experience in cinema terms--it's just a really well done, focused, sensitive telling of a forgotten story of repression and survival and maybe, in the end, the every lifting human spirit.
A very straight forward, hard hitting, well acted account based on a true story of a boy's penal colony on a Norwegian Island early in the 20th Century.
That says it all. It is what it is, and there is the almost inevitable rebel and leader among the boys against the sometimes evil, sometimes indifferent adults who rule the group with false benevolence. You know who is right and who is wrong, and you follow the plot with a mixture of expectation and outrage. It's dramatic great stuff. Yes, been there and seen that somehow before, but it's severe and beautiful in its setting and intense and provocative within.
It might be interesting to compare this to more famous prison movies (the dubious "Shawshank" and earlier classics like "Birdman from Alcatraz") to realize how much this one is holding to a line of truth. As much as the events are extreme (eventually), the filmmaking is filled with restraint. Compare further to a movie like "Shutter Island" and you know that this one is practically a grey, subdued documentary.
And this is to its advantage. It's not a mind-blowing experience in cinema terms--it's just a really well done, focused, sensitive telling of a forgotten story of repression and survival and maybe, in the end, the every lifting human spirit.
Intense, Well-Made Character-Driven Prison Thriller
museumofdave26 October 2013
In the U.S., Alcatraz used to serve as a prison known to the inmates as "The Rock," a place where criminals were sent in a boat, the island from which few had ever been known to escape. In Norway, until 1957, criminal children, even those committing relatively minor crimes were sent to an Island Prison on the island of Batsoy, another dismal isolation from which there was supposedly no escape. "The King of Devil's Island" as another young man arrives after committing a murder, consigned to the prison's special diet of silence and discipline, work amid dismally spartan conditions. The new inmate, after the usual give and take with more dominant prisoners, most of them young teens, manages to find himself a friend, sharing his plan to be the first to attempt a getaway.
Animosity between the inmates and those in charge, one of them an unregenerate pedophile and another taking money that should go to the welfare of the prisoners, develops quickly, and a steady intensity is constantly building--not with the buckets of profanity that pepper an American prison film, but a series of darker, psychological twists evolving from our knowledge of many of the young men involved.
Although in color, the atmosphere is dark, the skies seldom blue, the woods dark, the walks snowy: it is a moody film, but never lets the tension loosen much. I found it gripping and intense, building to a smashing final scene: not necessarily conclusive, but totally satisfying. The acting is universally excellent, the underlying music score appropriate without being intrusive. This well-made film was fully worthy of my time.
Animosity between the inmates and those in charge, one of them an unregenerate pedophile and another taking money that should go to the welfare of the prisoners, develops quickly, and a steady intensity is constantly building--not with the buckets of profanity that pepper an American prison film, but a series of darker, psychological twists evolving from our knowledge of many of the young men involved.
Although in color, the atmosphere is dark, the skies seldom blue, the woods dark, the walks snowy: it is a moody film, but never lets the tension loosen much. I found it gripping and intense, building to a smashing final scene: not necessarily conclusive, but totally satisfying. The acting is universally excellent, the underlying music score appropriate without being intrusive. This well-made film was fully worthy of my time.
Dour, downbeat...and utterly compelling
Leofwine_draca10 October 2013
Another piece of Norwegian greatness. KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND (great title, incidentally) is one of those based-on-a-true-story-you've-never-heard-of movies, charting the brutality of life inside a remote and wintry island-based borstal during the early 20th century.
Coming across as a Norwegian version of the hard-hitting British SCUM, KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND is great whichever way you look at it. The technical qualities are excellent, as is the acting from a mostly no-name cast whose one main star is Stellan Skarsgard, as miserable and burly as he's ever been. It's the developing relationship between Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen that really makes this involving viewing, despite the distasteful elements of the subject matter and the general feeling that this isn't going to have a happy ending.
In any case, I absolutely loved this film and want to see more like it. The Scandinavian countries seem to be turning out hit after hit at the moment, both in television and film, and it's a shame Britain and the USA couldn't follow some of their cues. If you want a lesson in how to make an exceptional bit of drama then you could do a lot worse than checking out KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND.
Coming across as a Norwegian version of the hard-hitting British SCUM, KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND is great whichever way you look at it. The technical qualities are excellent, as is the acting from a mostly no-name cast whose one main star is Stellan Skarsgard, as miserable and burly as he's ever been. It's the developing relationship between Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen that really makes this involving viewing, despite the distasteful elements of the subject matter and the general feeling that this isn't going to have a happy ending.
In any case, I absolutely loved this film and want to see more like it. The Scandinavian countries seem to be turning out hit after hit at the moment, both in television and film, and it's a shame Britain and the USA couldn't follow some of their cues. If you want a lesson in how to make an exceptional bit of drama then you could do a lot worse than checking out KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND.
Good, but could have been great
grantss31 March 2014
Good Norwegian drama, but could have been great. Good plot, well developed. The set up and build up to the inevitable climax was great, and set the scene for a fantastic conclusion. Character development is also good.
However, the final scenes isn't as satisfactory as the build up. There are a few scenes and events which just don't gel, and which make the last quarter or so of the movie feel a bit contrived. Credibility is restored somewhat by the moving ending, however.
Good performances all round. The only known actor (to us non-Norwegians, at least) in the cast is Stellan Skarsgard, who seems to appear in every Scandinavian movie. He is excellent, as always, as the governor of the prison.
However, the final scenes isn't as satisfactory as the build up. There are a few scenes and events which just don't gel, and which make the last quarter or so of the movie feel a bit contrived. Credibility is restored somewhat by the moving ending, however.
Good performances all round. The only known actor (to us non-Norwegians, at least) in the cast is Stellan Skarsgard, who seems to appear in every Scandinavian movie. He is excellent, as always, as the governor of the prison.
I cannot praise this movie enough!
kjetilsj22 December 2011
It's such a shame the Norwegian Committee did not choose this film as the contender for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The acting is top notch from all the main characters. Kristoffer Joner and Stellan Skarsgård's characters really gives you the chill, but the actors that really surprised was the newcomers Trond Nilssen and Benjamin Helstad characters. They delivered the best dialogs and very convincing acting.
If you are a sucker for true stories about injustice, mental and physical abuse and uprising against a brutal regime, then go watch this film now! Forget about The Troll Hunter, this is probably one of the best Norwegian films from the last decades.
The acting is top notch from all the main characters. Kristoffer Joner and Stellan Skarsgård's characters really gives you the chill, but the actors that really surprised was the newcomers Trond Nilssen and Benjamin Helstad characters. They delivered the best dialogs and very convincing acting.
If you are a sucker for true stories about injustice, mental and physical abuse and uprising against a brutal regime, then go watch this film now! Forget about The Troll Hunter, this is probably one of the best Norwegian films from the last decades.
Well told tale, but how much is true?
paulkazee17 July 2011
This is a very solid film. I do not understand why one of the other reviewers felt the boys were not sympathetic. Only one of the kids appears to have committed a serious crime. The others are there for petty things like stealing change from a church collection basket. That said, as good as the film is, it is not clear how much of it is really history, and how much just conjecture. I've read elsewhere that the only part of the film that is known to be true is that there was a revolt and that soldiers responded from the mainland (one of only two times the Norwegian government has trained its guns on its own citizens). The reasons behind the revolt are said to be mere conjecture.
Among Norway's Best
maccas-5636712 December 2021
This film made me feel so cold. The freezing, bleak scenery was captured perfectly and transported me right into the misery of the boys on Bastoy.
Some great performances and powerful storytelling. It's not a film I'll forget in a while. It's not always easy to watch. In fact, it's decidedly depressing but it has some special moments along the way and you can't help but root for some of the characters.
I was immediately drawn into this film and captivated throughout. It's particularly heartbreaking and gripping, along with being well written. Parts of it reminded me of a Norwegian Cool Hand Luke.
Norway makes great films and this would be among the best.
Some great performances and powerful storytelling. It's not a film I'll forget in a while. It's not always easy to watch. In fact, it's decidedly depressing but it has some special moments along the way and you can't help but root for some of the characters.
I was immediately drawn into this film and captivated throughout. It's particularly heartbreaking and gripping, along with being well written. Parts of it reminded me of a Norwegian Cool Hand Luke.
Norway makes great films and this would be among the best.
Unrelenting spirit uplifts this great film
nesfilmreviews24 January 2013
Heart rendering true story about an uprising at a notorious correctional facility for juveniles on a Norwegian island. When a new prisoner arrives Erling (Ben Helstand), his unrelenting passion to escape, prevail against repression, and rebel against authority figures immediately puts him in hot water. The young men in this facility must endure horrendous conditions, as well as physical and mental abuse daily. Eriling's unflinching bravery eventually and collectively inspires and galvanizes these young men together in their life altering uprising against oppression.
At first, the young men are unnamed (assigned numbers), completely alone, and without much hope for the future. However, Eriling's tenacious spirit leads to uniting broken spirits, establishing relationships, and not to be afraid to follow your dreams. The cinematography and barren landscape perfectly captures and enhances the cold- hearted spirit of the corrections facility, and the people who run it. The metaphor that is used throughout the film, and the evolving story of the "harpooner" is just perfect. Never falls victim to cheap melodrama; inspirational and touching. Impressive achievement by director Marius Hoist. Both performances by Stellan Skarsgard and Benjamin Heistad are simply marvelous.
At first, the young men are unnamed (assigned numbers), completely alone, and without much hope for the future. However, Eriling's tenacious spirit leads to uniting broken spirits, establishing relationships, and not to be afraid to follow your dreams. The cinematography and barren landscape perfectly captures and enhances the cold- hearted spirit of the corrections facility, and the people who run it. The metaphor that is used throughout the film, and the evolving story of the "harpooner" is just perfect. Never falls victim to cheap melodrama; inspirational and touching. Impressive achievement by director Marius Hoist. Both performances by Stellan Skarsgard and Benjamin Heistad are simply marvelous.
Some good elements but a somewhat worn out topic
kluseba22 December 2011
This is a solid drama about true events that happened in a working and correction camp of young criminals on a lost island of Norway. The story tells the acts of rebellion, vengeance and escape of young males in 1915 when a paedophile supervisor comes back to the camp after an incident that the camp directions officially ignores because the supervisor holds evidences of bribery against them and uses them to not be betrayed or send home for his unspeakable acts.
The movie is quite touching and authentic. The acting is very good and the events are intriguing enough to entertain you for around two hours. Especially the ending is dramatic, tragic and truly gripping. The locations, the grey but exotic locations and the use of light techniques and camera angles create a blackened mood and make this flick a mixture of a drama and something like a film noir which is rather intriguing.
On the other side, the story offers nothing new or surprising and I have seen better and more intense prison movies in the last years. This kind of film could have hit harder two decades ago or so but nowadays the topic feels a little bit worn out. The movie also takes too much time to kick off and has a couple of lengths at some points. The movie could have also explained what happened to the island and its horrible institution after the tragic events of 1915 and the ending leaves us a little bit unsatisfied for this reason.
In the end, this movie is a solid and interesting flick. It's nothing spectacular but surely worth your attention if you stumble over this or if this movie will be released in the cinemas or video shops of your country during the next months. Let's conclude that the atmosphere and the acting are the strong points in here in comparison to the slow paced and rather mediocre story which is the weak point in here.
The movie is quite touching and authentic. The acting is very good and the events are intriguing enough to entertain you for around two hours. Especially the ending is dramatic, tragic and truly gripping. The locations, the grey but exotic locations and the use of light techniques and camera angles create a blackened mood and make this flick a mixture of a drama and something like a film noir which is rather intriguing.
On the other side, the story offers nothing new or surprising and I have seen better and more intense prison movies in the last years. This kind of film could have hit harder two decades ago or so but nowadays the topic feels a little bit worn out. The movie also takes too much time to kick off and has a couple of lengths at some points. The movie could have also explained what happened to the island and its horrible institution after the tragic events of 1915 and the ending leaves us a little bit unsatisfied for this reason.
In the end, this movie is a solid and interesting flick. It's nothing spectacular but surely worth your attention if you stumble over this or if this movie will be released in the cinemas or video shops of your country during the next months. Let's conclude that the atmosphere and the acting are the strong points in here in comparison to the slow paced and rather mediocre story which is the weak point in here.
'Escape is only a fantasy here.' An Exceptional Film On Every Level
gradyharp27 February 2012
KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND (Kongen av Bastøy) is an experience more than a film. It dares to take the viewer where all is black and white, emotionally and visually, and while the film is shot in color, the only moment of color in this dark, atmospherically eerie snow bound island boys prison is the occasional blood and fire that creates even more of an impact because of the bleak screen that serves as background for the story. Based on a true story by Mette M. Bølstad and Lars Saabye Christensen and adapted for the screen by Dennis Magnusson and Eric Schmid, the fine cast is directed by Marius Holst.
In 1915 on the island Bastøy, located in the Oslo fjord, live a group of delinquent, young boys aged 11 to 18 in the Bastøy Boys Reform School. The boys daily, sadistic regime is run by the guards and Governor Bestyreren (Stellan Skarsgård) who is stern but seemingly fair in his management of the reform school (his wife lives with him in an opulent manner). But the Housemaster, a smarmy pedophile names Master Bråthen (Kristoffer Joner), is cruel and malicious and bestows both mental and physical abuse on the boys: the boys are used for cheap manual labor rather than being schooled and 'corrected' to return to society. The boys attempt to survive by adapting to their inhumane conditions. One day a new 17 year old boy, Erling who is assigned the 'name' C19 (Benjamin Helstad), arrives with his own agenda: how to escape from the island. How far is he willing to go in order to get his freedom? There is a stalwart lad Ivar/C5 (Magnus Langlete) who is due for release and a rather frail lad Olav/C1 (Trond Nilssen) who falls victim to the Master: these lads are C19's colleagues. After a tragic incident takes place, Erling ends up forced into the destinies of the other boys by leading them into a violent uprising. Once the boys manage to take over Bastøy 150 government soldiers are sent in to restore order. How he maneuvers the escape fantasy brings a surprising ending to the story.
The acting is first rate from a fine group of young actors. The cinematography is by John Andreas Andersen and the haunting musical score is by Johan Söderqvist. In Norwegian with English subtitles. A moody, deeply moving work. Grady Harp, February 12
In 1915 on the island Bastøy, located in the Oslo fjord, live a group of delinquent, young boys aged 11 to 18 in the Bastøy Boys Reform School. The boys daily, sadistic regime is run by the guards and Governor Bestyreren (Stellan Skarsgård) who is stern but seemingly fair in his management of the reform school (his wife lives with him in an opulent manner). But the Housemaster, a smarmy pedophile names Master Bråthen (Kristoffer Joner), is cruel and malicious and bestows both mental and physical abuse on the boys: the boys are used for cheap manual labor rather than being schooled and 'corrected' to return to society. The boys attempt to survive by adapting to their inhumane conditions. One day a new 17 year old boy, Erling who is assigned the 'name' C19 (Benjamin Helstad), arrives with his own agenda: how to escape from the island. How far is he willing to go in order to get his freedom? There is a stalwart lad Ivar/C5 (Magnus Langlete) who is due for release and a rather frail lad Olav/C1 (Trond Nilssen) who falls victim to the Master: these lads are C19's colleagues. After a tragic incident takes place, Erling ends up forced into the destinies of the other boys by leading them into a violent uprising. Once the boys manage to take over Bastøy 150 government soldiers are sent in to restore order. How he maneuvers the escape fantasy brings a surprising ending to the story.
The acting is first rate from a fine group of young actors. The cinematography is by John Andreas Andersen and the haunting musical score is by Johan Söderqvist. In Norwegian with English subtitles. A moody, deeply moving work. Grady Harp, February 12
Lack of contrasts
gude_fleur8 February 2022
The characters have a lack of personality and are all quite grey and similar, matching the landscape: There are no opposites, there simply is nothing to gain or nothing to loose neither for the protagonists or antagonists.
Every uprising event struggles when trying to climax, stuff just happens out of space.
Every uprising event struggles when trying to climax, stuff just happens out of space.
Very well done Greek tragedy in early 20th century setting
JvH483 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Very strong drama with also very believable acting, taking place on a prison island, from which no one ever has escaped. The strong discipline, the pecking order between inmates, harsh punishments when violating the rules, the religious beliefs of the governor, it is all there to support the main theme.
The newcomer takes the lead in the story very quickly, thereby guided with fantasies a la Moby Dick (Melville), about a whale that struggles nearly a day in spite of three harpoons. He has not learned to read or write, but finds a fellow inmate to take notes. Throughout the film we return to this theme several times. The way he describes the struggling whale, works like a metaphor and is very compelling.
Near the end I expected a destructive finale like in IF (1968, by Lindsay Anderson), but this time they found something different to wrap up the story, more in line with a Greek tragedy. Very well done. Do not expect a happy ending, as you won't get any. The final music, however, allowed me to leave the theater with a positive feeling, regardless of the foregoing nearly 2 hours without any happy events.
The newcomer takes the lead in the story very quickly, thereby guided with fantasies a la Moby Dick (Melville), about a whale that struggles nearly a day in spite of three harpoons. He has not learned to read or write, but finds a fellow inmate to take notes. Throughout the film we return to this theme several times. The way he describes the struggling whale, works like a metaphor and is very compelling.
Near the end I expected a destructive finale like in IF (1968, by Lindsay Anderson), but this time they found something different to wrap up the story, more in line with a Greek tragedy. Very well done. Do not expect a happy ending, as you won't get any. The final music, however, allowed me to leave the theater with a positive feeling, regardless of the foregoing nearly 2 hours without any happy events.
Bastøy boys
Laakbaar25 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This film tells the story of what happens in "house C" at a Norwegian reform school in 1915. Bastøy is a strict, prison-like environment situated on an island, and the conditions are very harsh. It was a different time when people had authoritarian inclinations about religion, child-rearing and delinquency.
The story hinges on three characters and their stories: the struggles of a newcomer to adapt (Erling, played by Benjamin Helstad), the moral dilemma of a long-term inmate who has succeeded in this environment (Olav, played by Trond Nilssen), and the housemaster who enjoyed this world far too much, despite the low pay (Bråthen, played by Kristoffer Joner). The other main characters include an abused boy and a self-serving headmaster. Near the end, the movie takes an unexpected turn as things get out of hand. However, I don't want to give anything away. Let's just say the ending might remind you of "Lord of the Flies".
Like Bastøy itself, the film has a brooding, trapped, isolated, cold and colourless feel. The director (Marius Holst) succeeds brilliantly in recreating this world and showing the moviegoer, in a spare and direct style, what an institution like this might have been like for the boys who had to stay there. I think much of the power of this movie is simply in recapturing this world in detail, including the hollowness of the constructs that allowed it to exist. I can't remember a movie where this has been done so effectively, although parts of this movie reminded me of "The Magdalene Sisters". I appreciated the director not dealing with this hastily, glibly, sensationally, explicitly, romantically or melodramatically. This is a deliberate, understated film.
We are shown a primitive, limited and non-verbal place filled with challenged and affectionless boys. I'm not sure how much character development you can have (without resorting to Hollywood stereotypes); however, still the director and writers succeeded in developing these characters incrementally by letting us hear their dialogue and especially by showing us their actions. The moviegoer has to pay attention though. I can't say I was moved by this movie, but I found it gripping and did come to care for the characters.
The modern human spirit sinks when confronted with the reality of institutions like this. Many countries are struggling to understand nowadays why they set up schools like this in the not-so-distant past. The film feels uncomfortably familiar. As we all know now, places like this were abusive institutions that provided a haven for small-minded and abusive men, including a few with pedophile tendencies. Bastøy was no different. I would like to hear the justifications of those who used to run these places, but of course few of them are around now. Of those who are around, few are willing to defend themselves. What could they say?
The direction, the writing, the cinematography, the acting — all of it was excellent.
Surely I am not the only one noticing that little Norway is producing rather good movies lately? Is anyone in the Netherlands producing movies of this quality? If so, I don't know who.
The story hinges on three characters and their stories: the struggles of a newcomer to adapt (Erling, played by Benjamin Helstad), the moral dilemma of a long-term inmate who has succeeded in this environment (Olav, played by Trond Nilssen), and the housemaster who enjoyed this world far too much, despite the low pay (Bråthen, played by Kristoffer Joner). The other main characters include an abused boy and a self-serving headmaster. Near the end, the movie takes an unexpected turn as things get out of hand. However, I don't want to give anything away. Let's just say the ending might remind you of "Lord of the Flies".
Like Bastøy itself, the film has a brooding, trapped, isolated, cold and colourless feel. The director (Marius Holst) succeeds brilliantly in recreating this world and showing the moviegoer, in a spare and direct style, what an institution like this might have been like for the boys who had to stay there. I think much of the power of this movie is simply in recapturing this world in detail, including the hollowness of the constructs that allowed it to exist. I can't remember a movie where this has been done so effectively, although parts of this movie reminded me of "The Magdalene Sisters". I appreciated the director not dealing with this hastily, glibly, sensationally, explicitly, romantically or melodramatically. This is a deliberate, understated film.
We are shown a primitive, limited and non-verbal place filled with challenged and affectionless boys. I'm not sure how much character development you can have (without resorting to Hollywood stereotypes); however, still the director and writers succeeded in developing these characters incrementally by letting us hear their dialogue and especially by showing us their actions. The moviegoer has to pay attention though. I can't say I was moved by this movie, but I found it gripping and did come to care for the characters.
The modern human spirit sinks when confronted with the reality of institutions like this. Many countries are struggling to understand nowadays why they set up schools like this in the not-so-distant past. The film feels uncomfortably familiar. As we all know now, places like this were abusive institutions that provided a haven for small-minded and abusive men, including a few with pedophile tendencies. Bastøy was no different. I would like to hear the justifications of those who used to run these places, but of course few of them are around now. Of those who are around, few are willing to defend themselves. What could they say?
The direction, the writing, the cinematography, the acting — all of it was excellent.
Surely I am not the only one noticing that little Norway is producing rather good movies lately? Is anyone in the Netherlands producing movies of this quality? If so, I don't know who.
Gripping, tragic and oh so cold
juneebuggy7 November 2014
A gripping and tragic movie made even more so because its based on real events. It surrounds the infamous Bastøy Boys Home correctional facility in Norway and the violent uprising that took place there in 1915, led in part by 17 year old inmate Erling who bucks against the brutal regime.
I spent the entire movie feeling cold, exhausted and hungry as the wintry isolation almost becomes a character in itself here. Why didn't anyone ever wear a jacket? Was that part of the punishment at the home?
Great performances from everyone, although for some reason I'd been expecting more brutality from Stellan Skarsgard, maybe because he always looks so angry and mean. The real problem here was the dorm master!
In the end I was left wondering how much of this story is true and slightly confused by the bittersweet flash-forward at the end, how many years later was that? Was "he" a whaling captain? A little vague. 02.15.14
I spent the entire movie feeling cold, exhausted and hungry as the wintry isolation almost becomes a character in itself here. Why didn't anyone ever wear a jacket? Was that part of the punishment at the home?
Great performances from everyone, although for some reason I'd been expecting more brutality from Stellan Skarsgard, maybe because he always looks so angry and mean. The real problem here was the dorm master!
In the end I was left wondering how much of this story is true and slightly confused by the bittersweet flash-forward at the end, how many years later was that? Was "he" a whaling captain? A little vague. 02.15.14
Incredible movie
rivanerakaren20 August 2018
A true story's dramatic dilemma
OJT17 December 2010
Kongen av Bastøy is based on actual events happening on the Bastøy correctional facility for difficult boys, back in 1915. The Norwegian island Bastøy is located in the Oslo fjord, between Horten and Moss, about an hours drive south of Norway's capitol, what until 1919 was called Christiania before changing name back to original Oslo.
Marius Holst has made another good film about young boys coping with coming of age. This time he has gone to the core of coping with misplaced childhoods. Well acted, and very true to it's time frame, Kongen of Bastøy, is very believable story made with a 10 million dollar budget. Stellan Skarsgård, Kristoffer Joner, Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen does the very best of method acting of their characters.
The story is both sore, dramatic and tragic, as well as true. It tries to both tell Norwegian history back when the country was poor, and when it was likely to be sent on a whaling ship, being a youngster from difficult background. So why is this film not a 10 out of 10. so many of these heart-wrenching stories easily make you get tears in your eyes.
Well, I'm afraid to say that this is a true story's dilemma. Making the best possible story come out in a film, you have to love of eel for the characters. The young boys on this facility is not the ones easy to love. They are brutal, uneducated, cheeky, unable to show affection and victims of a difficult past. Though Marius Holst tries to make us understand and feel affection for both the kids and the "wardens" in this boys home, I simply can't really start to like any of the characters.
Well acted, well written, but does director Holst really make us care? He has shown he know how to do this in the great story of "Cross my heart and hope to die", In Norwegian: "Ti kniver i hjertet" and "Mirsush" or "Blodsbånd", and succeeded well there. In Kongen av Bastøy which is a story of 10 years in progress, the trouble is that he had to face reality.
Telling a story on difficult boys, obviously has to show the boys how they are. And Marius Holst is no "tears-seeker". Neither is his leading actor in this. He obviously has felt this story has to be told. And as a historic manuscript on how one solved this cases of difficult boys back then, it functions very well. Just don't expect to really care. Maybe this makes the film even better. It should, but I'm afraid I still feel it lacks this. To really be able to touch a movie-goer, the fictional adding would have done the trick. making the film an even better story, but less true. That's the dilemma of telling a true story. If you want the story to be loved, you gotta add the elements of heart and soul, even if it would be untrue to the story told.
So for this cold bastard, I'm afraid this is just a good told story, and not a classic as I'd like it to be, and maybe also therefore not the possible box office hit it would have been, if made as a heart wrenching story.
Making a film like this loved, really need us to identify. This is the only true trouble with an otherwise great film.
Bastøy correctional facility was closed down in the fifties, when Norway was recovering from the 2nd World war. Now there's a prison out there. I'm sure a lot of kids was growing up hating Bastøy. Bastøy still have a negative sound for Norwegians, well deserved.
Marius Holst has made another good film about young boys coping with coming of age. This time he has gone to the core of coping with misplaced childhoods. Well acted, and very true to it's time frame, Kongen of Bastøy, is very believable story made with a 10 million dollar budget. Stellan Skarsgård, Kristoffer Joner, Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen does the very best of method acting of their characters.
The story is both sore, dramatic and tragic, as well as true. It tries to both tell Norwegian history back when the country was poor, and when it was likely to be sent on a whaling ship, being a youngster from difficult background. So why is this film not a 10 out of 10. so many of these heart-wrenching stories easily make you get tears in your eyes.
Well, I'm afraid to say that this is a true story's dilemma. Making the best possible story come out in a film, you have to love of eel for the characters. The young boys on this facility is not the ones easy to love. They are brutal, uneducated, cheeky, unable to show affection and victims of a difficult past. Though Marius Holst tries to make us understand and feel affection for both the kids and the "wardens" in this boys home, I simply can't really start to like any of the characters.
Well acted, well written, but does director Holst really make us care? He has shown he know how to do this in the great story of "Cross my heart and hope to die", In Norwegian: "Ti kniver i hjertet" and "Mirsush" or "Blodsbånd", and succeeded well there. In Kongen av Bastøy which is a story of 10 years in progress, the trouble is that he had to face reality.
Telling a story on difficult boys, obviously has to show the boys how they are. And Marius Holst is no "tears-seeker". Neither is his leading actor in this. He obviously has felt this story has to be told. And as a historic manuscript on how one solved this cases of difficult boys back then, it functions very well. Just don't expect to really care. Maybe this makes the film even better. It should, but I'm afraid I still feel it lacks this. To really be able to touch a movie-goer, the fictional adding would have done the trick. making the film an even better story, but less true. That's the dilemma of telling a true story. If you want the story to be loved, you gotta add the elements of heart and soul, even if it would be untrue to the story told.
So for this cold bastard, I'm afraid this is just a good told story, and not a classic as I'd like it to be, and maybe also therefore not the possible box office hit it would have been, if made as a heart wrenching story.
Making a film like this loved, really need us to identify. This is the only true trouble with an otherwise great film.
Bastøy correctional facility was closed down in the fifties, when Norway was recovering from the 2nd World war. Now there's a prison out there. I'm sure a lot of kids was growing up hating Bastøy. Bastøy still have a negative sound for Norwegians, well deserved.
In the Belly of the Beast...
poe42624 June 2014
The Prison Industrial Complex is a worldwide phenomenon that seems to have been with us just about Forever; and Hollywood (among many others) has milked the idea for just about all it's worth; hence, the all-too-familiar chain of events depicted in THE KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND. The names and the faces may be new to us, but the transgressions are as old as the Institution(s). But that doesn't mean that THE KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND is just another run-of-the-mill prison movie; it's not: it's an exceptionally well-crafted look at what happens to two young inmates- Erling and Olav- and those with whom they come into contact. That it's "based on a true story" makes it even more compelling. It's too bad that more movies of this caliber aren't produced: THE KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND reaffirms one's faith in the possibilities of solid filmmaking.
Bleakly brilliant
MOscarbradley7 January 2017
This uncompromising Norwegian drama is set on the island prison of Bastoy in the Oslo fjord and is based on a true story. The English title alludes to another story of escape from a more famous island prison but there is nothing heroic about Marius Holst's picture. This is a brutal and soul-destroying place and the film is bleakly and brilliantly filmed and very well played by its almost exclusively male cast, (Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen are outstanding as two of the incarcerated boys as is Stellan Starsgard as the misguided governor). File it next to the likes of "Escape from Alcatraz" if you will but this is much more Bressonian than that.
So 'striking' that becomes 'exotic'!
georgidianovgeorgiev9 November 2017
It is worth watching the movie only because of the pictures. Nature, snow, cold-blue colors and a sea that looks like the end of the world. On the left side the sea, a beach covered with snow, a tiny-wood-house with a desperate boat in it and a couple of surviving treas on the right wing - likewise a wallpaper from ancient Windows versions. However, there are more intriguing surprises. Young fellas with 'lost' faces, but inspired at the same time with some zealous. Grown before time kids because of life's inequality and poor enlightenment from their supposed family duties. Toughness, harsh times and constancy always accompanying them, without giving up. Injustice, revenge and a friendships' story that only invites us to join the movie and act as if we were supposed not only to suffer together with the main actors, but also to try helping them. All of these, because we will agree with them and with what happens to them. They are our friends even though we have just met them. Magic right!? The movie is a mixture between Shutter Island, Les Choristes and The Kite Runner. All in Norwegian stylish and prudent style that brings us the chance to live this adventurous and dramatic jewel. Brilliant!
King of Devil's Island
Tweekums21 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This film 'inspired by real events' is set in the borstal on the Norwegian island of Bastøy in the winter of 1915. We are introduced to the establishment with new inmate Erling, inmate C19. It quickly becomes apparent that life there is harsh; the boys are expected to work hard and any infringement of the rules will incur severe punishments. Erling befriends Olav, inmate C1 who is the senior inmate in their dormitory. Olav is due to be released soon so doesn't want to rock the boat but when he witnesses Bråthen, the housefather, abusing a boy Erling persuades him to inform the governor. Rather than investigate the governor accuses him of lying. The events that follow lead up to Erling and Olav being moved to solitary confinement however they escape and soon there is a full scale revolt against the prison staff. As the military arrive to quell the uprising Erling and Olav attempt to escape the island by crossing the frozen fjord.
While this certainly isn't a feel-good film it has enough feel-good moments to get us through the more gruelling scenes and the sheer bleakness of the setting. The cast do a fine job; Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen are great as Erling and Olav; Kristoffer Joner nicely captures the cowardly unpleasantness of Bråthen and Stellan Skarsgård puts in a fine performance as the governor who clearly thinks he is doing a good job helping the boys when it is clear that his regime is far from good. The story moves along at a decent pace; neither feeling rushed nor dragging. The film has a very cold feel; it isn't just the snow on the ground; the light has that permanent blue tint of an overcast winter day and the boys are clearly not dressed for the weather. While the regime we see is harsh the film doesn't show anything too unpleasant meaning the film is suitable for teenagers and older. Overall this might not be a film to 'enjoy' but it is certainly worth watching.
These comments are based on watching the film in Norwegian with English subtitles.
While this certainly isn't a feel-good film it has enough feel-good moments to get us through the more gruelling scenes and the sheer bleakness of the setting. The cast do a fine job; Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen are great as Erling and Olav; Kristoffer Joner nicely captures the cowardly unpleasantness of Bråthen and Stellan Skarsgård puts in a fine performance as the governor who clearly thinks he is doing a good job helping the boys when it is clear that his regime is far from good. The story moves along at a decent pace; neither feeling rushed nor dragging. The film has a very cold feel; it isn't just the snow on the ground; the light has that permanent blue tint of an overcast winter day and the boys are clearly not dressed for the weather. While the regime we see is harsh the film doesn't show anything too unpleasant meaning the film is suitable for teenagers and older. Overall this might not be a film to 'enjoy' but it is certainly worth watching.
These comments are based on watching the film in Norwegian with English subtitles.
great movie
joaosamarques14 November 2012
excellent movie. i am from Portugal. congratulations people.this is a great movie more than i expect from . excellent plot, excellent direction, excellent actors. the script is very good, even for a story from 1915 (i think).
i am very pleased to see another great movie from northern europe.only remains a good film from finland, because the 3 other are completed with very good films. as far as i know there are very good actors that i see is theirs breakthrough movies for IMDb. i think they're very good in their home country. we all should be aware that not from hollywwod comes good films and actors. congratulations
i am very pleased to see another great movie from northern europe.only remains a good film from finland, because the 3 other are completed with very good films. as far as i know there are very good actors that i see is theirs breakthrough movies for IMDb. i think they're very good in their home country. we all should be aware that not from hollywwod comes good films and actors. congratulations
A film to make you think
ladcrooks-26-19289328 May 2015
I loved this film, the unexpected friendship of a bully and boy who didn't like bullies. That of coarse is a small part of the film. Its boys without toys stuck on an island for being naughty. Mind you if they behaved it did not seem a bad place. Would have enjoyed a week there myself.
Good plot, good acting and a morale boosting adventure. Once again loved this film, and that is not easy for a person who hates subtitles.
I dare say it was rougher than what was shown here, but you get the idea. glad times have changed
Well done Norway
Good plot, good acting and a morale boosting adventure. Once again loved this film, and that is not easy for a person who hates subtitles.
I dare say it was rougher than what was shown here, but you get the idea. glad times have changed
Well done Norway
The King lives on.
caja-4976111 April 2019
What a great film. Depressing but great. Acting very solid. Cinematography was gorgeous. I actually feel cold every time I watch this. It's an almost claustrophobic film. An island surrounded by frozen ocean with some cages sprinkled in and very tense corrections officers breathing down your neck.
A definite must watch.
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