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Based on a true story King of Devil's Island tells the unsettling tale of a group of young delinquents banished to the remote prison of Bastøy. Under the guise of rehabilitation the boys daily regime is dictated by mental and physical abuse at the hands of their wardens. The arrival of new boys Erling (Helstad) and Ivar (Magnus Langlete) spark a chain of events that ultimately ignite rebellion. King of Devil's Island explores a sinister moment in Norwegian history that won't be forgotten.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
King of Devil's Island is an unashamedly traditional genre movie, taking the prison escape movie and merging it with the boys borstal tradition - brutal wardens, physical and sexual abuse and setting it on an ice-ridden island in Norway, 1915. What sets this film apart is the fact that it is based on real and very dramatic events and the central performance of the great Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard. The other amazing fact is that all of the boys are non-actors, plucked from schools across Norway, chosen for their natural acting abilities and physical attributes. The film has you engrossed throughout and is reminiscent of the excellent Nordic film Evil, which was also set in a boys school but at the other extreme of the privilige scale.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Tommy D
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
This is a Norwegian film from director Marius Holst and is based on actual events which took place in 1915 on Bastoy Island. It was then a correctional facility for adolescent males. It is in Oslo fjord and was run as a home from 1900 to 1953 and is still today a minimum security prison. The film deals with events that occurred in 1915. Erling is a seventeen year old who is sent to the prison. He is given a new name C19, all personal effects are removed, hair shaven etc.
The boys are supposed to be turned into good Christians by the regime in order to be released. This is indeterminate sentencing, as it is the Governor who decides when a boy is redeemed and can go back into society. The regime is one of hard physical labour, meagre and poor rations and both physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the house masters. C19 is one of those who decides that it is not the sort of place he wants to remain and so sets about planning to escape from the freezing hell hole.
What ensues is a tale that mirrors quite a few films that have gone before such as `Scum' and `Evil'. The Governor played brilliantly by Stellan Skarsgard tells the boys `escape is a childish fantasy', and for me that is pivotal to the whole film. This was shot in 54 days and the boys are not `professional' actors but this really works. No one is a passenger and the tension is palpable throughout.
It is one of those films that seem shorter than it is and when you consider this is based on actual events it makes it all the more engaging, in Norwegian with good sub titles, this is a real and visceral film that deserves more attention than it received.
The boys are supposed to be turned into good Christians by the regime in order to be released. This is indeterminate sentencing, as it is the Governor who decides when a boy is redeemed and can go back into society. The regime is one of hard physical labour, meagre and poor rations and both physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the house masters. C19 is one of those who decides that it is not the sort of place he wants to remain and so sets about planning to escape from the freezing hell hole.
What ensues is a tale that mirrors quite a few films that have gone before such as `Scum' and `Evil'. The Governor played brilliantly by Stellan Skarsgard tells the boys `escape is a childish fantasy', and for me that is pivotal to the whole film. This was shot in 54 days and the boys are not `professional' actors but this really works. No one is a passenger and the tension is palpable throughout.
It is one of those films that seem shorter than it is and when you consider this is based on actual events it makes it all the more engaging, in Norwegian with good sub titles, this is a real and visceral film that deserves more attention than it received.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
See it for all its historical cruelty misery fear and seething menacing evil. I do not say you will like what you see. Its success is in entertaining and keeping one guessing what more can happen and how to get out of situations. Greatly suspenseful chilling and thrilling throughout. Brilliantly directed, photographed beautifully within that cold light.
Based on the true story, for any tv series Survivor addict reading this: this is survival not that contrived television fictitious stuff...this is tragic triumph over evil.
If you've ever watched a movie and had the feeling of pushing yourself back "through" your seat (such as the traincrash scene in "The Fugitive", to avoid the crash coming full-on at you), this gave us the same sort of feeling: clenched fists, sitting on hands, wanting to close eyes...faultless acting portraying the bravery and dogged persistence by the young men and boys who feel they have no choice, finding ways to deal with situations and support each other, lessons learned and taught, with denial and lies in the form of officials and staff in charge of this place.
One of the best films made.
Based on the true story, for any tv series Survivor addict reading this: this is survival not that contrived television fictitious stuff...this is tragic triumph over evil.
If you've ever watched a movie and had the feeling of pushing yourself back "through" your seat (such as the traincrash scene in "The Fugitive", to avoid the crash coming full-on at you), this gave us the same sort of feeling: clenched fists, sitting on hands, wanting to close eyes...faultless acting portraying the bravery and dogged persistence by the young men and boys who feel they have no choice, finding ways to deal with situations and support each other, lessons learned and taught, with denial and lies in the form of officials and staff in charge of this place.
One of the best films made.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By cartoon
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
At first I thought oh no its just another prison is brutal story ; aka the green mile or shawshank etc etc . But this isnt sentimental . Skarsgard and all the other actors are brilliant as are the shots of the ice and snow . I became totally and utterly gripped by the boys stories . This is a story of morality and choices we make .Suprising it has a 12 certificate as it is quite brutal [ but not ott graphic ] so I guess younger viewers can see how brutal norway used to be in its treatment of offenders . Another scandi classic .
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What with all the care home scandals and the Russian doll Police enquiry into the Jimmy Saville child abuse scandal, films don't get much more topical than this one. The recent film "Oranges and Sunshine" highlighted the scandal of child deportation to Australia in the postwar years, where many ended up abused in places similar to Irelands's Magdalene laundries. At long last countries are having to come to terms with both past and present child abuse. This time it is Norway's turn! The chilling island of Bastoy is the austere location for a boys correctional home. No coconuts there to escape on! It is set during the time of the First World War before political correctness ran riot with society. Soldiers suffering from shell shock were shot for cowardice, and bad boys were meted out brutal treatment through institutionalised physical abuse. One boy is systematically sexually abused by the Housefather Braaten, in a stand out performance by Kristoffer Joner. This leads to seismic events on the island which even the impassive governor played by the ever watchable Stellan Skarsgard has difficulty in turning a blind eye to.
The film is a fictionalised retelling of the rebellion of the boys on Bastoy island in 1915. Filmed on location in Estonia the wintry landscape is perfect for such a dark story and substitutes seamlessly for Norway. Presumably production costs are cheaper in Estonia and the beer is more reasonably priced in Tallinn! The tale is well acted by the young cast, headed by Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen. The peerless Skarsgard goes back to his grass roots, and like the earlier "Insomnia" gives a powerful performance in the chilling conditions. The Scandanavians are drawn to stark grim films like moths to the flame.... Read more ›
The film is a fictionalised retelling of the rebellion of the boys on Bastoy island in 1915. Filmed on location in Estonia the wintry landscape is perfect for such a dark story and substitutes seamlessly for Norway. Presumably production costs are cheaper in Estonia and the beer is more reasonably priced in Tallinn! The tale is well acted by the young cast, headed by Benjamin Helstad and Trond Nilssen. The peerless Skarsgard goes back to his grass roots, and like the earlier "Insomnia" gives a powerful performance in the chilling conditions. The Scandanavians are drawn to stark grim films like moths to the flame.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliantly executed
I picked up this movie while on a Scandinavian phase, and it's one of the better ones.
It looks and sounds great with the Norwegian setting and understated soundtrack. Read more
It looks and sounds great with the Norwegian setting and understated soundtrack. Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. A. Fitzgerald
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MUST SEE MOVIE
I can assure you, that this is, the best norwegian movie made so far! It has a fantastic illustration of the reality that happened on Bastøy. Read more
Published 4 months ago by mr david smith
3.0 out of 5 stars
Harrassing, to say the least
I love Stellan Skarsgard but this film was not quite up to standard. I found it difficult to watch this
film. Read more
film. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Charlie
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