The island is in the middle of nowhere and the boys are surrounded by the harshest conditions possible. Apr 27, 2014 a 2010 norwegian movie, marius holsts king of devils island is set in a youth prison where a couple of new inmates witness a guard abusing a young boy who is later found drowned, leading to a rebellion. All had been deported from all parts of the second french empire, and was. King of devils island by marius holst marius holst, stellan. To think of this movie as being loosely based on a true story is a real eye opening experience. Dec 07, 20 in the harsh and stirring film, king of devils island, is based on a true story from 1915. This is a historical novel about christians under persecution during the first century ad. King of devil s island is poetic story of friendship and adolescence in the bleak, cold and brutal 1915 bastoy. A deeply melancholy tone permeates director marius holsts the king of devils island, and given the austere details of the reallife incident its based on, thats quite fitting.
Many or most of us have heard of devil s island the french penal colony in french guiana. The fictional story will definitely keep you reading on, and the historical setting is apparently quite accurate. Jun 26, 2012 the king of devils island kongen av bastoy, 2010. Based on a true story king of devil s island tells the unsettling tale of a group of young delinquents banished to the remote prison of bastoy. Rating is available when the video has been rented.
Once there he clashes with the island facility s governor who believes manual labor, rigid discipline, and harsh punishment is the only way to turn these boys around. Although filmed in estonia, king of devils island kongen av bastoy is set on the island of bastoy, at the seaward end of the oslo fjord. King of devils island hits the familiar plot points most prison films cherish escape attempts, riots, chase sequences, but hoists keen directing abilities prove that wornout film genres can be advanced with the right casting and setting. Based on a true story king of devils island tells the unsettling tale of a group of young delinquents banished to the remote prison of bastoy. Mar 15, 2012 king of devils island is a norwegian film based on the 1915 uprising of troubled youth at a boys reform school.
Refusing to accept the constant abuse, erling leads the boys in a violent. Dec 30, 2011 the norwegian film king of devil s island has been awarded with 7 international film awards in 2011. Kongen av bastoy is a 2010 frenchnorwegian action drama film directed by marius holst. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but fiction can make the strange truth feel relatable and understandable. Opened in 1852, the devils island system received convicts from the prison of stlaurentdumaroni. To think of this movie as being loosely based on a true story is a. The book was fastpaced, with an interesting plot and a large cast of mostly interesting characters.
Stellan skarsgard, left, and benjamin helstad in the king of devil s island. Overall, king of devils island is full of drama, tragic occurrences, and emotional scenes that will cause you to feel empathy for each and every prisoner. With benjamin helstad, trond nilssen, stellan skarsgard, kristoffer joner. King of devils island is an effective drama set in norway in 1915, where the mostly harmless boys are subjected to regimented punishment. The norwegian film king of devils island has been awarded with 7 international film awards in 2011. All the actors give outstanding performances, incuding stellan skarsgard, who chills you as a man who is. What most of us dont know is that this is actually the name of one island in that colony. Nov 14, 2011 king of devils island hits the familiar plot points most prison films cherish escape attempts, riots, chase sequences, but hoists keen directing abilities prove that wornout film genres can be advanced with the right casting and setting. This is a norwegian film from director marius holst and is based on actual events which took place in 1915 on bastoy island.
I cant recall a juvenile home in a movie that wasnt hell on earth. At bastoy located in the fjord of oslo, life is tough. Reportedly based on some kind of true story, holsts seemingly robustly budgeted and luridly titled opus were nowhere near the real devils island in french guiana takes its sweet time. The devil s island facility was the last to be closed. A blend of scum and papillon set on a snowy norwegian island, this is based on a true story. It was then a correctional facility for adolescent males. Billionaire producer nick gorman is determined to get to the bottom of the islands secrets and spares no expense gathering a team of people with special interests and skills. On the boys home bastoy, a new inmate leads the boys to a violent uprising against a brutal regime. A drama, based on real events, about a newcomer at a remote norwegian reform school who presence threatens the balance of power. It s a snow covered, potent mixture of sleepers, shawshank redemption and lord of. The heart and soul of king of devils island is as warm as it is raw. The norwegian film king of devil s island has been awarded with 7 international film awards in 2011. Based on a true place bastoy, marius holsts engrossing drama pits the.
Currently, the milesquare island is in use as a prison held as a model of humane rehabilitation. King of devil s island is a slow and predictable movie that occasionally feels like a norwegian juvenile version of cool hand luke, as erling has definite problems with authority, trying to. Take the case of albert dadas, who was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in france in 1886 because he wouldnt stop walking and struggled to. Based on the story line alone, i would have rated it higher, but i was disappointed by the stilted dialog and the tremendous number of errors spelling, grammar, punctuation, word usage, etc. King of devils island is a slow and predictable movie that occasionally feels like a norwegian juvenile version of cool hand luke, as erling has definite problems with authority, trying to. King of devils island dvd bellingham public library. Because its based on a true story, the movie with actors and a story is sometimes interrupted by the people its about. Two friends decide to rob their local library from rare books worth millions. This 2010 film is based on truelife events that took place in bastoy, norway in 1915. This movie is also considered to be of the dark and depressing genre.
Mar 05, 2012 based on remarkable true events in norway in 1915, king of devil s island tells an extraordinary story of friendship, loyalty and rebellion, set on a remote icebound island reform school. King of devils island 2010 directed by marius holst. While the bastoy prison system is now known for its elegant liberalism, this film portrays children under siege, fighting for what they see as morality. King of devils island army mwr libraries overdrive. A devils isle novel series chloe neill claire connolly struggles to control her magic powers before they consume her, all while battling the forces of darkness in this urban fantasy series set in new orleans. Devils island is situated somewhere in the caribbean. The bleak surroundings and bitter cold are captured beautifully, allowing us to feel these young boys misery as they face not only the. Opened in 1852, the devil s island system received convicts from the prison of stlaurentdumaroni. In the harsh and stirring film, king of devils island, is based on a true story from 1915. Based on a true story, bastoy is a school for maladjusted young boys in the early 20th century. King of devils island is poetic story of friendship and adolescence in the bleak, cold and brutal 1915 bastoy. Overall, king of devil s island is full of drama, tragic occurrences, and emotional scenes that will cause you to feel empathy for each and every prisoner.
Both boarding schools and detention centers seem to attract sadists among the inmates and the administrators, and theres always at least one sex offender on the staff. The film is set in norways bastoy correctional facility for boys, and recalls the infamous 1915 uprising that was ultimately quelled by the norwegian army. Starring stellan skarsgard, benjamin helstad, kristoffer joner and trond nilssen. Marius holsts 2010 pensively moving film the king of devils island kongen av bastoy is based on a true incident.
King of devils island is based on the true story of a student uprising that occurred at the infamous bastoy boys home correctional facility in norway. Mar 04, 2014 truth may be stranger than fiction, but fiction can make the strange truth feel relatable and understandable. Nov 18, 2011 king of devils island tells the true story of a 1915 rebellion among the inmates at a reformatory for maladjusted boys on a bleak norwegian island. Most impressive is the nuanced friendship that develops between erling, a rough and tumble bruiser. Both boarding schools and detention centers seem to attract sadists among the inmates and the administrators, and there s always at least one sex offender on the staff. The film premiered in norway on 17 december 2010 and was next shown at the international film festivals of sweden january 2011, rotterdam february 2011. Devils island by ron hall meet your next favorite book.
Filmed in shades of blue and gray, the dour norwegian drama king of devils island evokes a bloodchilling climate of eternal winter. King of devils island is based on the true story of an uprising at the infamous bastoy boys home correctional facility in norway. Stellan skarsgard, left, and benjamin helstad in the king of devils island. Devil s island is situated somewhere in the caribbean. King of devil s island is an effective drama set in norway in 1915, where the mostly harmless boys are subjected to regimented punishment. In 1915 it was a facility to which delinquent boys were despatched. Although now a minimumsecurity prison for adults, from 1900 to 1953, it was a prison colony for boys between 9 and 21. King of devils island tells the true story of a 1915 rebellion among the inmates at a reformatory for maladjusted boys on a bleak norwegian island. Seventeenyearold erling is a rumored murderer and therefore sent to the bastoy boys home correctional facility. The cable car system that provided access to devil s island from royale island deteriorated and devil s island is now closed to public access. The arrival of new boys erling helstad and ivar magnus langlete spark a chain of events that ultimately ignite rebellion. Much of the story is set in the winter, a reflection of the cold, hard and unrelenting attitude many of the boys have to their punishment and jailors. Billionaire producer nick gorman is determined to get to the bottom of the islands secrets and spares no expense gathering a team.
King of devils island is a norwegian film based on the 1915 uprising of troubled youth at a boys reform school. Young erling is sent to a boys reformatory on a tiny island off the coast of norway. Refusing to accept the constant abuse, erling leads the boys. Stellan skarsgard, benjamin helstad, kristoffer joner plot. Once there he clashes with the island facilitys governor who believes manual labor, rigid discipline, and harsh punishment is the only way to turn these boys around. It is in oslo fjord and was run as a home from 1900 to 1953 and is still today a minimum security prison. Its a snow covered, potent mixture of sleepers, shawshank redemption and lord of.
Basically a prison for teens, it s on an isolated norwegian island where governor skarsgard is given virtually free rein to run things as he sees fit. Youll learn a lot, as well as see parallels in the time in which were living now. Many or most of us have heard of devils island the french penal colony in french guiana. Basically a prison for teens, its on an isolated norwegian island where governor skarsgard is given virtually free rein to run things as he sees fit. The boys daily, sadistic regime is run by the guards and the. In 1915, erling benjamin helstad and ivar magnus langlete are sent to the boys reform camp on bastoy island, under the stewardship of its governor. A teenager accused of murder is sent to an island reform school where the director the girl with the dragon tattoos stellan skarsgard torments the boysbut its only a matter of time before he plots a cruel revenge. The bleak surroundings and bitter cold are captured beautifully, allowing us to feel these young boys misery as they face not only the elements, but the extreme abuse of power by the staff.
Kongen av bastoy is a 2010 film by marius holst, which dramatises the events surrounding a 1915 inmates revolt at bastoy reform school, an island prison for teenage boys. Most impressive is the nuanced friendship that develops between erling, a rough and tumble bruiser, and his repressed counterpart olav, their. The titular island is a boys reform school off the coast of norway which in reality is closer to a penal colony. The boys daily, sadistic regime is run by the guards and the principal who bestow both mental and physical abuse on them.
After a series of escalating events the boys revolt, hoping to overcome the cruelty of life on the island. The two larger islands in the salut island group are open to the. On the island bastoy, located in the oslo fjord live a group of delinquent, young boys aged 11 to 18. The king of devils island is a bit standard in layout for prisonslashsocial injustice movies, but that doesnt mean its not worth watching. Based on remarkable true events in norway in 1915, king of devils island tells an extraordinary story of friendship, loyalty and rebellion, set on a remote icebound island reform school. A gifted novelist can reveal the human, emotional heart of a story that on the face of it seems nothing more than freaky tabloid fodder. Jun 28, 2012 although filmed in estonia, king of devils island kongen av bastoy is set on the island of bastoy, at the seaward end of the oslo fjord.
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