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Kautokeino-opprøret (2008)

Director:
Nils Gaup
COUNTRY
Denmark/Norway/Sweden
GENRE
Historical/Drama
INTERNATIONAL TITLE
The Kautokeino Rebellion
RUNNING TIME
100 minutes
Producer:
Tove Kløvvik
Jørgen Storm Rosenberg
Jeanette Sundby
Screenwriter:
Nils Isak Eira
Nils Gaup
Reidar Jönsson
Tone Pelone Wahl


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Carl Johan Ruth Mikael Persbrandt ½
Lars Levi Læstadius Michael Nyqvist ½
Mons Somby Mikkel Gaup ½
Aslak Hætta Nils Gaup
Ellen Andersdatter Spein Anni-Kristiina Juuso
Stockfleth Bjørn Sundquist
Lars Johan Bucht Peter Andersson
? Jørgen Langhelle
Anne Elise Blix Silje Holtet
Mathis Hætta Aslat Mahtte Gaup

 

Review

Nils Gaup returns to the territory that gave him a handful of awards and nominations twenty years prior with Ofelas. This time, we find ourselves in the mid 19th century in the midst of a conflict between obviously nature-loving Lapps and exploitive Norwegians in a dispute that Gaup looks to set up as something like a reversed western. Unfortunately, the conflict is not particularly well motivated from neither party's point of view, and the film's premise seems forced and plotted from the get go. The background for the rebellion is argued by most historians as being diverse, but in this film, there is a recurring and not too subtle amplification of the two most visible elements: the church and the alcohol.

What should have been a potent film, is only so in segments. Most of the blame must go to Gaup's at times lacklustre craftsmanship (the sets and camera angles does little to enhance the spatial feel) and one-note acting (Sundquist is completely ill-placed and Persbrandt's acting is mostly showing off). Kautokeino-oppgjøret doesn't come alive until the very end, but by then there has been too many large words and pompous explanations. Compared to Ofelas, this film doesn't give a very nuanced portrait of the life of the Lapps. Only the flocks of reindeer seem to be up for the task Gaup had in mind.

Copyright © 5.2.2008 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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