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This is essentially a character driven modern crime series, without too much violence, dominating
each 90 minute episode. The violence, that Wallander never accepts as normal, is present to only
serve the plot. Be warned; when the violence does happen sometimes it can be most graphic. A
lot of this series revolves around Wallander and his seemingly alcoholic and subsequent depressive
mood. Somehow he seems to be able to pull it together enough to solve each mystery.
Set in Sweden the overall art design is cast in limpid blues and grays, which I think is Wallander's
mood. He moves across the countryside in his Volvo following his next intuition. The shows are
shot in a near-35mm resolution using a 'Red One' digital camera. The cities and landscapes seem
pretty darn realistic and captured so well that huge amounts of artificial lighting were not used.
The natural colors of the landscape hold a pall over each mystery by using the available light. The
three pieces are well acted, well written pieces. The main story line that keeps them together is
Wallander's life or lack of it, shall we say.
The episodes are not depressing because Branagh's character is so well done he is able to hold
these pieces together. You will see him in his home, alone, in the middle of nowhere; barely with a
neighbor in sight. Nothing symbolic about that at all. He has ragged relationships with his daughter
and his father. In the first episode, 'Sidetracked', Wallander finds out his father has a dreadful
disease. His father, played wonderfully by David Warner, paints the same landscape repeatedly.
When one thinks of Wallander it appears he is painting the same landscape over and over again but
for those mysteries that arise and redeem him once again. Then he becomes emotionally involved
with the victims instead of with his daughter, father or any other significant other that appears in
his life. It seems it is one mystery he can not solve. Wallander seems to over-empathize with his
victims and one begins to wonder what came first, his drinking/depression or his desire to stay
sensitive to the victims of the crime.
All of this being said these are absorbing and competent mysteries with a lot of wonderful character
actors supporting Branagh as he doggedly goes after the perpetrator of some pretty horrible crimes.
Delve into these wonderful mysteries; 'Sidetracked' is about a suicide, a murder of a government
official, and eventually... ; 'Firewall' is my favorite of this series. A body is found and heart attack
is diagnosed. Elsewhere two teenage girls are arrested for the murder of a cab driver. Are they
connected as Wallander suspects from the start? Watch this one and learn; 'One Step Behind' has
three teens found dead in a secluded section of woods. Of course, a parallel plot (or is it?) has one
of Wallander's colleagues found dead. Wallander feels the killer will strike again and races to find
him/her.
I gave this series 5 stars because of the acting, directing, art direction, including music, which are
first rate. Special kudos to Branagh who has taken a seemingly depressing character and made him
live, and more importantly, made him relevant. A tough acting assignment, to say the least, for the
brilliant Kenneth Branagh in this role.
One question: Would Wallander continue to exist if crime were eradicated? It appears that is what
helps him get up in the morning and continue to live his lonely life. And yet we still want to watch...
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Wallander: Sidetracked / Firewall / One Step Behind
Merchant Video
Reviews with images
Dour and Well-Plotted - with Fabulous Acting
This TV series, as with the books they're based on, will not be everybody's cup of tea. They are unrelentingly dour and humorless. They are well plotted and fabulously acted, but even the cinematography seems to have a blue cast that adds to the bleakness. Kenneth Branagh is magnificent throughout. What an actor!I've only read two Kurt Wallander mysteries, written by Henning Mankell and set in Skane, Southern Sweden. The two I've read are "Faceless Killers" (published 1991 in Sweden), the first in the series, and "The Troubled Man" (published 2009 in Sweden), the last in the series. Kurt is a police detective. He's a good detective, though he's so intense and focused that he can be hard on witnesses, his co-workers, his family, and most of all, on himself.This is the first season of the BBC TV series, which originally aired in 2008: episodes "Sidetracked", "Firewall" and "One Step Behind". The 2nd season, also available on DVD, originally aired in 2010: episodes "Faceless Killers", "The Man Who Smiled" and "The Fifth Woman". All of the screenplays, for both sets, are based on Mankell's books by the same names.I think the TV series does an excellent job of capturing the books' Wallander. He is moderately unkempt; recently divorced but still wearing his wedding ring. He works horrific hours and has trouble sleeping at night on top of it. He sees society's underbelly on a daily basis and it has left his emotions alternately strangled and unavailable or else spewing volcanically. His relationship with his daughter is actually better in the TV series than in the books. And he is more nominally likeable in the TV series than he is in the two books I've read.There are currently plans for a 3rd TV series, and screenwriters have been commissioned. Apparently, three of the episodes will be original screenplays, not based on a Wallander book. If the series keeps going, they'll have to do so. Mankell has only written 13 Wallander novels (one, a prequel, is set pre-"Faceless Killers").I very much enjoyed watching this series. A purist may not appreciate a Swedish series filmed in Skane, but populated 100% by English speaking characters, but it was OK with me. Kenneth Branagh appeared at a 2009 interview in NYC, and was asked if he had considered performing Wallander with a Swedish accent. Branagh replied: "Oh yes! But literally a moment. I sounded like the Swedish chef from the Muppets." And the idea was quickly dropped.Happy Reader
Top reviews from other countries
Eiar
Caoire l'argomento del DVD che si sta guardando.
Reviewed in Italy on March 20, 2019
The Prairie Chronicles
Not just another mystery series
Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2011
Victor
Wallander, Series 1 - Deep, moody, engrossing drama
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2010