The Simple-Minded Murderer (1982)
"Den enfaldige mördaren" (original title)

A mentally challenged man escapes from his tyrannical master and finds happiness when a poor family takes him in.

Director:

Hans Alfredson

Writers:

Hans Alfredson (novel), Hans Alfredson (screenplay)

Stars:

Stellan Skarsgård, Maria Johansson, Hans Alfredson

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Sven
Maria Johansson	...	Anna
Hans Alfredson	...	Höglund
Per Myrberg	...	Andersson
Lena-Pia Bernhardsson	...	Mrs. Andersson
Nils Ahlroth	...	Månsson
Lars Amble	...	Bengt
Carl-Åke Eriksson	...	Wallin
Cecilia Walton	...	Vera
Wallis Grahn	...	Mrs. Höglund
Else-Marie Brandt	...	Sven's mother
Gösta Ekman	...	The new driver
Carl Billquist	...	Flodin
Lena Nyman	...	Woman without legs
Björn Andrésen	...	Angel

Storyline

In the 1930s, the feeble-minded Sven's mother dies and he is hired as a farm-hand at the rich, affluent Höglund's farm. He has to work without pay and sleeps together with the cows. He meets the disabled Anna who is the first one to treat him as an adult. One day he has had enough of Höglund's maltreatment and moves in with Anna's family.

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Plot Keywords:

farm | 1930s | farmer | harelip | speech impediment | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Scanian Swedish

Release Date:

September 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Simple-Minded Murderer

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 9,731,249 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Svensk Filmindustri (SF), Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI), Svenska Ord

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the sources of inspiration for this film came when Hans Alfredsson first heard Verdis "Requiem". He instantly knew that he wanted to use it for a movie.

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Quotes

Bengt: I can't drive. But Sven can drive!
Höglund: [to Sven] Can you drive the car?
Sven: I don't have a license.
Höglund: I didn't ask if you've got a license. I asked if you could drive the car!

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Connections

Referenced in Sling Blade (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Requiem"

User Reviews

One of the best movies throughout the history of film.

The directing (by Hasse Alfredson) and the cinematography (by Rolf Lindström and Jörgen Persson) are excellent. During the whole movie the audience can hear the bittersweet tones of Verdi's Requiem. Not also the actors makes this movie to a masterpiece. Maria Johansson is brilliant as the lame girl. But the best performance of them all is made by Stellan Skarsgård as Sven - "The Idiot" (because of his harelip). Skarsgård's performance may be the best throughout the whole history of Swedish film.

Sven and the other farmers over the countryside of Skåne, in southern Sweden, have to endure the mental torture from the factory owner in the district, The Evil Man, played by Hasse Alfredson himself. But after enough suffering, Sven gets enough and with the angels of vengeance he walks over the fields to kill The Evil Man, the factory owner. All this to the music of Verdi's Requiem. This scene may be one of the strongest ever throughout the FILM HISTORY. See this movie, but carefully, do not hesitate.

If only the Lumiere brothers could have seen this...