King Of Devil’s Island Review

6th Nov 2012

Norway consolidates its reputation as the land of sunshine and infectious pop tunes – oh, sorry, I mean death metal and church burnings – with King of Devil’s Island (Kongen av Bastøy), Marius Holst’s harrowing account of the real 1915 inmate rebellion at a boys’ reform prison on Bastøy island.

Stellan Skarsgård, as Bastøy’s governor, is the most recognisable face to non-Norwegian audiences and delivers a suitably granite-flecked performance as a man seemingly born to embody the concept of the banality of evil. Kirstoffer Joner is equally compelling as the predatory housemaster, Bråthen.

This is, however, a film stolen by its young leads, Benjamin Helstad (Erling) and Trond Nilssen (Olav). Nilssen, in his film debut, is riveting and has great chemistry with Helstad. Holst has a tight grip on his material and the friendship between the two boys unfolds along with the story in a controlled burn. Their relationship provides the only warmth on show – this is a master class in evoking the sensation of freezing cold on film.

Holst avoids sensationalising his subject matter and the full horror of the boys’ situation is revealed as slowly as Olav’s anger against the institution he is so close to being freed from builds. Comparisons have been drawn with Spartacus, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Lord of the Flies. If that sounds like lofty company, then King of Devil’s Island deserves to be there.