IN THE FACE OF EVIL, ONE MAN REFUSED TO BE SILENT.
Another slow-moving but gorgeously photographed historical drama from Jan Troell, this time focusing on Torgny Segerstedt, the Swedish newspaperman who spoke up against Nazism at a time when the government desperately was trying to keep Sweden out of the war. We follow his struggle, involving clashes with both the Prime Minister and the King, but also his complicated marriage and affair with a Jewish woman. The drama and impact of Segerstedt’s activism isn’t properly conveyed, but it’s still worth a look; Jesper Christensen may be Danish but owns the part right from the start.
2012-Sweden-Norway. 126 min. B/W. Directed by Jan Troell. Screenplay: Jan Troell, Klaus Rifbjerg. Cinematography: Mischa Gavrjusjov, Jan Troell. Cast: Jesper Christensen (Torgny Segerstedt), Pernilla August (Maja Forssman), Ulla Skoog (Puste Segerstedt), Björn Granath, Peter Andersson, Lia Boysen… Maria Heiskanen, Lennart Hjulström, Ingvar Kjellson, Adam Lundgren, Michael Segerström, Eddie Axberg, Pierre Lindstedt.
Trivia: Original title: Dom över död man.