Swedish author Henning Mankell has created a detective that has caught the world’s attention in bestselling novels of mystery and murder. Kenneth Branagh brings to life Detective Kurt Wallander in masterful detail in three adventures that have been shown on Masterpiece Mystery on PBS.
To understand the appeal of Kurt Wallander as a character and the books of Henning Mankell, British crime fiction author John Harvey takes viewers on a trip to the city of Ystad in Southern Sweden, the locale for most of Mankell’s Wallander stories.
In this wonderful DVD extra Harvey tells us that the Swedish author August Strindberg called Ystad a collection of pirates and thieves back in the 1890’s, so it seems to be a natural setting for modern day crimes that Wallander investigates.
Interviews with fans of the books say that Kurt Wallander is a real person to them, he eats, sleeps, or doesn’t like all the rest of us, and isn’t superhuman but is very clever. He doesn’t get things right all the time, but he tries.
Audiences respond to his disillusion with life and the seemingly unending wave of crime that crashes into daily living.
In Sidetracked the action begins in a gorgeous blooming crop field, as a fifteen year old girl sets herself on fire right in front of Wallander who has answered the call from a farmer who reported an intruder.
The horror that Wallander feels is evident in his reactions, and the scene changes to a visit from his daughter. It is a dark world in which Wallander lives and works, his home has only the necessities and his relationships are few and strained.
He loves his daughter, and cares about his wife although they are no longer together, but his mind is consumed with trying to solve the cases presented to him.
Firewall opens with a long shot across water to a remote landscape with two girls walking away from a car. At first it seems as if they have had car trouble, but in an instant there is blood, a body and evidence that a grisly murder has taken place.
The girls immediately admit to the murder, in brash uncaring attitudes, but Wallander is certain there is more to this than just money one of the girls insists she wanted.
The final story One Step Behind allows the audience to see the frustration that crime investigators feel when they are always a step behind the criminal, and unable to prevent a robbery or a murder.
Wallander goes out on a limb to try and keep a victim safe, hoping that this time he is able to get ahead of the planned mayhem.
Wallander is presented on two discs containing all three BBC productions as well as a nice selection of special features. The combined running time for the three features is 270 minutes, and they are presented in widescreen.
The special features include an analysis of the character in the featurette “Who is Kurt Wallander?” Another featurette “Branagh’s Wallander” investigate the manner in which the actor perceives the character and how he brings him to the screen. “The Wallander Look” illuminates the efforts by crew and cast to create the world in which Wallander lives.
It may not be familiar to viewers, but they can absorb it and understand the characters. Finally there is an amazing interview between author Henning Mankell and actor Kenneth Branagh. This is a must have DVD for any serious crime drama fans, as well as mystery lovers and those who have enjoyed the Wallander books.
Wallander is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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