The Simple-Minded Murderer (1982)

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

Director:

Hans Alfredson

Writer:

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:

simpleton | killer on the run | non linear narrative | cleft lip | speech defect | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

For authenticity, Stellan Skarsgård cut his own hair with a pair of sheep-shears, and used a mouthpiece to simulate the cleft palate that was the reason for the speech impediment that made others mistake Sven for being mentally challenged.

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Goofs

This film is set in the 1930s, yet when Sven goes by a toy store during his breakdown, a plush toy of Snoopy can be spotted in the store's vitrine. Snoopy wasn't invented until 1950.

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Quotes

Höglund: What the hell, can't we have some fun?

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Connections

Featured in Stjärnbilder (1995)

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Soundtracks

Requiem
Written by Giuseppe Verdi (as Verdi)
Conducted by Georg Solti (as Sir Georg Solti)
Decca LP SET 374-5

User Reviews

As relevant as ever

As others have remarked, this may be the best movie to come out of Sweden. It both enrages and soothes, as it follows the oppression and uprising of the main character.

While it covers the tribulations and triumphs of the main characters perfectly, it's about so much more. It has a big heart and reminds you that overcomplicating things can lead us astray, whereas the purity of simplicity is sometimes what we should strive for, and it's a lesson in the corrupt nature of power.

The production may seem plain at first, but you'll soon realize that it's pitch perfect. Unfortunately I didn't see this movie before now - I, like every man, could have done well with the additional ballast that this piece of art provides.

Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Scanian Swedish

Release Date:

September 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Simple-Minded Murderer

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1