WALLANDER: TJUVEN (THIEF)

Sweden, 2009, 85 minutes, Colour.
Krister Henriksson, Lina Endre, Sverrir Gudnason, Fredrik Gunnarsson, Matt Bergman.
Directed by Stephan Appelgren.

Thief is the fourth in the 2009-2010 series from Sweden, the Wallander series based on the novels by Henning Mankel.

Krister Henriksson is effective as Wallander, much less anguished than Kenneth Branagh in the British series. However, there is a murder mystery here and the disappearance of a Polish man in Ystad. The film shows prejudice against strangers in the community. However, the film also shows Wallander’s interest in the prosecutor, Katarina, and he is able to make a good impression with her son Elias, taking him to football training, participating in a match between parents and students. This personal touch is not always present in each of the films but gets a strong emphasis here.

Otherwise, the regular members of the police force are all present and doing their work.

1. The crime, Sweden, Ystad, a picture of Swedish society?

2. The locations, the city itself, on the sea, the forests and woods? The musical score?

3. Wallander and his work, age, personality, his walking his dog, the friendship with Katarina, the encounters with Elias, buying the tickets, taking him to football practice? Wallander’s work, manner, working with the team? His hunches, offer of resignation?

4. The team, Katarina and her work as prosecutor, in action, Svartman and his solid work, insights? Martinsson and his work, ambitions, seeming shoddy at times? Nyberg and his investigations? Pontus and Isabell and their learning?

5. The title, the thief, break-in, the robbery, taking the photo of the dead woman, using the photo for blackmail? His situation, going into the house to get his tools, being bashed by the vigilantes, in the forest, the car burnt? His wife, family and her concern? The Polish background?

6. Olle as one of the concerned citizens, his house robbed, a doctor? With the other people in the street? The robberies? Their following the Pole, bashing him, Olle and his viciousness, the others cautious? Their getting their story right? The police, the interrogation of Olle, his changing his story, the others and their story, blaming him?

7. Olle, the photo, Wallander tricking him? The mannequins, the lies, the divorce, his lawyer, the truth about the murder?

8. The kids, larrikins, stealing the mannequins, vandalism, at school, the police and the interrogations and threats?

9. Elias, his mother, the football, selling the tickets, the practice, Wallander playing, winning the raffle?

10. A lower-key Wallander story?