King of Devil's Island
Kongen av Bastøy
Norway, France, Sweden, Poland
2010
115 Min
Color
2.35:1
Norwegian
Synopsis
In line with the best quality European film productions, this Norwegian film does an extraordinary job at combining the prison genre with political allegory and historic reenactment. The film’s entire plot is set in 1915, in a correctional facility on an island in the Norwegian fjords. This reformatory is filled with young offenders and children whose only crime is to have been born poor. The island’s governor (played by European star Stellan Skarsgärd) directs this correctional facility with a firm hand, and the daily creed at this extremely cold institution is discipline, hard work and physical punishment. The indomitable Erling (played by a magnetic Benjamin Heistad) arrives at the reformatory, setting off a confrontation between the monsters of repression and those who are willing to fight for their freedom. —Carlos Reviriego, 4+1 Film Festival
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Justin Oakey
22Jan12
A prison story focusing on the abuse of power done extremely right. The heart and soul of "King of Devil's Island" is as warm as it is raw; as if William Golding had written Alan Clarke's "Scum" and set it in Norway. While the Bastøy prison system is now known for its elegant liberalism, this film portrays children under siege, fighting for what they see as morality. Beautifully and flawlessly executed.
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Justin Oakey
12Apr12
The Great Escape didn't invent the concept of escaping a prison any more than James Cameron invented a person sinking into water. Schlock? Coming from a person who gave Scarface a five-star rating? Not everything needs to be done à la Oscars. This isn't Shawshank. Frankly, if you can't see the waves of Golding or Clarke's "Scum" then you've must have watched a different movie.
pivic
29Dec11
A token bully film, albeit this time in the wilderness, where teachers scare and abuse their students in a variety of ways, applying different techniques. At times beautiful, but mostly very linear and obvious. A couple of stellar performances from the boy actors, but otherwise just a clean walkthrough.
Matt Richards
29Sep11
This film bears many parallels to a recent Finnish film called 'Home of Dark Butterflies' and where that one fails this one triumphs. Solid acting, superb cinematography and a subtle and restrained score all help flesh it out. It's just a shame that it doesn't really offer anything we haven't seen before in any number of sadistic prison films and lord-of-the-flies type stories. 3 stars
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Chicago International Film Festival 2011
By David Hudson on October 6, 2011
Notable coverage of the 47th edition.
Second Trailer For Marius Holst's Youth Prison Drama KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
The more we see of Marius Holst’s King Of Devil’s Island the better it looks. With a cast anchored by Stellan Skarsgard and Kristoffer Joner you know the acting is going to be solid and everything else
Stellan Skarsgard And Kristoffer Joner Star In Youth Prison Drama KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
[Updated with English subtitled trailer]That Stellan Skarsgard and Kristoffer Joner are starring together in upcoming prison drama King of Devil’s Island should be reason enough to pay attention to Marius
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