Devil's Island

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Devil's Island - The Devil's Island
Original title Djöflaeyjan
Country of production Iceland
original language Icelandic
English
Publishing year 1996
length 99 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
script Einar Kárason
production Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
Peter Aalbæk Jensen
Egil Ødegård
Peter Rommel
music Björgvin Helgi Halldórsson
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
camera Ari Kristinsson
cut Steingrímur Karlsson
occupation

Devil's Island (Original title: Djöflaeyjan ), also known as Devil's Island , is an Icelandic feature film from 1996 . Directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson , the screenplay was written by Einar Kárason based on his own novel. The Icelandic Film Corporation produced the tragic comedy.

action

The film describes the conditions in the isolated shantytown Camp Thule on the outskirts of Reykjavík after the Second World War , where even the visit of the postman is equivalent to an event.

After the Second World War , the American soldiers left their barracks, into which the poorest families are now moving - including old Karolina Tomasson, an eccentric fortune teller, and her good-natured husband Thomas with their two adult grandchildren. Her daughter Gógó is drawn to the United States in search of a better life, where she follows Baddi, Karolina's favorite grandson.

However, he returns and is for a short time a celebrated hero who drives his big US car through the mud, so to speak as "Icelandic Elvis, king of the gutter". But his fame doesn't last long and his slow decline - he begins to drink out of frustration and bully around senselessly - hits the family hard. Meanwhile, his introverted younger brother Danni tries to pursue his secret dream, and sister Dolly and her husband want to keep up appearances in the middle of this chaotic household. When Baddi finally teases his brother's girlfriend, he gambled away the last of his sympathies.

Divorced from her GI, Karolina's daughter Gógó has meanwhile also returned to the island - and shortly afterwards she leaves with a Norwegian. At the end of the film, Karolina and her family have to move from the relative freedom of the barracks to the dreariness of a social housing block.

backgrounds

According to estimates, the budget for the film was around 200 million Icelandic kronor (around 2.2 million euros ). Devil's Island was the last film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson that starred Gísli Halldórsson .

reception

The film was released in Icelandic cinemas on October 3, 1996 and was seen around 70,300 times. This was followed by theatrical releases in other European countries, for example on January 15, 1998 in the Ventura Film distribution in Germany, where Devil's Island was seen around 19,800 times. The film was later released on video in Germany .

At Rotten Tomatoes , the film received a user rating of 70% on the basis of 46 responses, for the so-called Tomatometer there was no feedback from Approved Tomatometer Critics ( German  "confirmed Tomatometer reviewers" ).

In Germany, the critics were impressed by the film:

“ A picture of society and morals laid out as a family history, with characters that are as convincing as they are bizarre, and which develops an idiosyncratic comedy in its sequence of loose episodes. A fun and serious film, carried by convincing actors and inspired by the affection for its not so positive heroes. "

- Lexicon of international film

“ Rarely, far too seldom are there films that upset their audiences in a humane way. Films that you like to be overwhelmed by. Such a miracle happened to Icelander Fridrik Thor Fridriksson ... "

- Der Tagesspiegel , quoted. according to DJFL

The taz compared Devil's Island with the films of the Finn Aki Kaurismäki and the American Quentin Tarantino and especially emphasized the nature shots: “The peculiarities, on the other hand, lie in great nature shots whose clear but completely twisted colors cannot even be achieved with LSD. "

The American film critic James Berardinelli wrote on ReelViews that the film was ultimately just a simple narrative of the tragic struggles of a family. However, it is credited and deserves the same attention as Friðriksson's Cold Fever , although it is less global. Berardinelli also emphasized that the film was filmed beautifully.

Another reviewer came to a damning verdict:

" Devil's Island is boring narrative cinema about and from the fifties, but the characters are just too cranky for a cozy nap "

- schnitt.de

Awards

The film won the Young Audience Award at the Nordic Film Festival in Rouen . At the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1997 , he was represented in the international competition for the crystal globe and received the FIPRESCI Prize . At the International Film Festival Emden he was for the Emden Film Award nominated and on the Brussels International Film Festival for the crystal star. At the Atlantic Film Festival , the film was awarded as Best International Film with a length of over 60 minutes .

The Amanda won Devil's Iceland 1997 Nordic Best Feature Film . The film was Iceland's candidate for a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1997 Academy Awards , but was behind the entries from the Czech Republic ( Kolya , winner) and Norway ( Sunday Angel ), Georgia ( 1001 recipes from a cook in love ), France ( Ridicule - Von the ridiculousness of appearances ) and Russia ( trapped in the Caucasus , all nominated) left behind.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Devil's Island - The Devil's Island - Overview. In: schnitt.de. January 8, 1998. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Devil's Island. In: Kino.de . January 15, 1998. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Djöflaeyjan / Devil's Island (Forum, Berlin Film Festival 1997). In: arsenal-berlin.de. October 3, 1996. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  4. ↑ a b Film Information Djöflaeyjan (IS) [Original title]. In: lumiere.obs.coe.int. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Devil's Island. In: rottentomatoes.com . July 4, 2000, accessed November 17, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Devil's Island. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 9, 2017 . Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  7. ↑ a b Devil’s Island ( memento from November 18, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) in the Dirk Jasper FilmLexikon
  8. ↑ James Berardinelli: Review: Devil's Island (Djoflaeyjan). In: preview.reelviews.net. 1997, accessed November 17, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Mark Stöhr: Devil's Island - The Devil's Island - Review. In: schnitt.de. January 8, 2098, accessed November 17, 2017 .
  10. ^ Festival Cinéma Nordique: L'Ile du Diable / Devil's Island / Devil's Island. In: festival-cinema-nordique.asso.fr. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  11. ^ 32nd Karlovy Vary Film Festival. In: fipresci.org . July 12, 1997. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  12. ↑ Djöflaeyjan - Awards. In: imdb.com. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  13. ↑ Fabienne Bradfer: Cinema: Le 25e Festival International du Film de Bruxelle s'annonce 25 bougie Avenc Dennis Hopper et Cathrine Deneuve. In: lesoir.be. January 9, 1998, accessed November 17, 2017 .
  14. ^ Atlantic Film Festival (1997). In: imdb.com. September 27, 1997. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  15. ^ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences : 39 Countries Hoping for Oscar Nominations ( Memento of February 9, 1999 in the Internet Archive )
  16. ^ Academy Awards, USA (1997). In: imdb.com . March 24, 1997. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .