Scanian Guerilla (1941)
"Snapphanar" (original title)

Director:

Åke Ohberg

Writers:

Karl Ragnar Gierow (novel), Karl Ragnar Gierow,

Stars:

Edvard Persson, Tekla Sjöblom, George Fant

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edvard Persson	...	Grimme Jens
Tekla Sjöblom	...	Cilla
George Fant	...	Ored Jensen
Oscar Ljung	...	Per Jensen
Åke Ohberg	...	Nils Jensen
Carl Ström	...	Helsing
Eva Henning	...	Kerstin
Sven Bergvall	...	Swedish colonel
Bror Bügler	...	Lt. Cronhjort
Gunnar Sjöberg	...	Långe-Tuve
Yngve Nordwall	...	Sören (as Yngve Nordvall)
Blenda Bruno	...	Karna
John Ekman	...	Mogens
Frithiof Bjärne	...	Lieutenant (as Fritiof Bjärne)
Henrik Schildt	...	A man

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

1670s | occupation | based on novel

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Genres:

History | War

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Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

26 December 1941 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Scanian Guerilla

Filming Locations:

Broby, Skåne län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Europa Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Happy Parades (1948)

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Soundtracks

"Snapphanevisa"
Music by Lars-Erik Larsson
Lyrics by Karl Ragnar Gierow
Performed by Edvard Persson, George Fant, Oscar Ljung, Åke Ohberg

User Reviews

When the conqueror dictates the history...

"Snapphanar" is a movie about an occupied country, and about resistance from the affected civilian population. In the 1600's the eastern part of Denmark, Scania, was occupied by Sweden, and during the "Scanian War" 1676-79 many Scanians fought in guerilla troops against the Swedes. The Swedish military force gave them the degrading name "Snapphanar", a German word for the worst elements in the society; highwaymen, bandits etc. In modern times however, the name "Snapphanar" have obtained a romantic lustre through the many Danish and Swedish historic novels. This Swedish movie was shot during World War II, and the scriptwriter Karl Ragnar Gierow explained that it was an(translated): "obvious allegory on the situation in Denmark and Norway", who was occupied by the Germans.

But this movie was nothing for the Danish and Norwegian cinemagoers. "Snapphanar" ends with surrender, and the leading character, the Scanian guerilla captain Grimme Jens (played by the famous Scanian actor Edvard Persson), fires off the closing line (translated): "The Swedes are good persons, honest and good fighters, a damned good people." Swedish history revisionism, hurrah! We could just as well have let Mel Gibson swear in "Braveheart" that the Englishmen were wonderfully chivalrous opponents. The remarkable thing is that the Nazi's banned the movie in Norway because they thought it glorifyed partisan activity. As K Arne Blom and Jan Moen says in the history book "Snapphaneboken" (translated from Swedish): "One can wonder if the Germans in Norway didn't watch the movie to the end, because the moral is that resistance doesn't pay in the end and that the foreign authorities in the final analysis are good and excellent people."

This movie should only be seen as an embarrasing example of Swedish nationalism during World War II and how the conquerors can dictate the historiography.