Stellan Skarsgård Movies
A Swedish actor who has become known to American audiences thanks to roles in Breaking the Waves and Good Will Hunting, Stellan Skarsgård is one of Scandinavia's best-known and most well-respected performers. Renowned for giving measured characterizations that draw their strength from a delicate complexity, Skarsgård is one of those rare actors who is able to do strong work regardless of the quality of the material he is in, displaying the sort of quiet fortitude that allows him to survive even the worst screen fiascos.Born in Gothenburg on June 13, 1951, Skarsgård became a star in his country, when, as a teenager, he was cast on the TV series Bombi Bitt och jag. After his film debut in 1972, he did years of stage work with Stockholm's Royal Dramatic and made a number of dramas with the director Hans Alfredson, the most notable of which, Den Enfaldige Mordaren, featured Skarsgård in a Silver Berlin Bear-winning performance as a misunderstood man with a deformity. In 1988, Skarsgård got a tentative introduction to a transatlantic audience with a small role in Philip Kaufman's The Unbearable Lightness of Being; two years later, he had a similarly minor role in another international hit, The Hunt for Red October.
Skarsgård's true international breakthrough came courtesy of his role as Emily Watson's husband in Lars Von Trier's highly acclaimed Breaking the Waves (1996). The actor more than held his own opposite Watson, who gave one of the year's most lauded performances, and he found previously unimagined opportunities available to him in Hollywood. In 1997, he starred as a frustrated mathematician in Gus Van Sant's award-winning Good Will Hunting and was also featured in Steven Spielberg's Amistad; his work in both films culminated in an Outstanding European Achievement in World Cinema award from the European Film Academy. Later that same year, the actor appeared in My Son the Fanatic as a German businessman with the unfortunate surname of Schitz -- he also gave a stellar portrayal of a detective who slowly loses his mind while investigating a murder in the Norwegian film Insomnia.
A prolific actor, Skarsgård appeared in a number of small ambitious projects in 2000, including Passion of Mind with Demi Moore, Mike Figgis' Time Code, and Harlan County War. The following year, while he showed up in the poorly-received thriller The Glass House, Skarsgård gained critical praise for his performance in Taking Sides.
2003 saw Skarsgård taking a role in Lars von Trier's highly anticipated Dogville and signing on for the oft-plagued The Exorcist: The Beginning. After several debacles, the prequel to the horror classic finally found its way to movie theaters in 2004, the same year the actor costarred in Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur. After going toe-to-toe with the Devil himself in 2005's Exorcist: The Beginning (as well as Paul Schrader's alternate cut Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist), Skarsgård joined the crew of the Flying Dutchman in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and its follow-up Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and went medieval in the Swedism Arn films. A chilling turn as the ruthless warden in the fact-based King of Devil's Island showed a downright malevolent side to Skarsgård, though it was subsequent roles in the Marvel Comics features Thor and the Avengers, as well as a turn as the mysterious Martin Vanger in David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, that offered the veteran actor the most international exposure in the wake of his voyage on the high seas. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- 1990
Most TV movie reference books have given up mentioning the hundreds of unsold pilots that dot the video landscape. Parker Kane, originally telecast in 1990 and then rerun in 1992, is one of those orphans that has fallen through the research cracks. It's possible the film is due for a revival thanks to the present-day popularity of its star Jeff Fahey. Fahey plays Parker Kane, a cop turned private eye. Always a maverick, albeit an honest one, Kane supersedes the authority of his p.i. license when a close friend is murdered. The trail of clues leads to a major-scale scam involving the dumping of toxic waste. Guest star Patti LaBelle plays a nightclub singer during the less hectic moments of Parker Kane. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The first of several films based on Tom Clancy's "Jack Ryan" technothrillers, Hunt for Red October stars Alec Baldwin as eccentric CIA analyst Ryan and Sean Connery as Soviet submarine commander Marko Ramius. Ramius sets the plot in motion when he murders his political adviser, burns his orders, and steers his sub Red October towards American waters, hoping to defect. The CIA, aware that the Red October was about to embark on an evasive mission to demonstrate its ability to avoid detection and fire its nuclear missiles upon U.S. installations, believes that Ramius is insane, and that he plans to start World War III. To cover their own behinds, the Russians back up the CIA's suspicion. Only Jack Ryan believes that Ramius' mission is not as apocalyptic as it seems -- and it is Ryan who is assigned to infiltrate the Red October to prove his theory. The sort of film that in an earlier era would have been called a "thinking man's thriller," The Hunt for Red October ushered in a new series of Hollywood-produced post-Cold War adventure films, including 1995's Crimson Tide. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, (more)
- 1989
The English-language title of this Swedish costume drama is The Women on the Roof. Set in 1914 Stockholm, the film explores the friendship between Austrian photographer Helena Bergstrom and farm girl Amanda Ooms. Despite their radically different backgrounds, both learn a lot about life from one another until their relationship is strained by the intrusive presence of Anna's boyfriend (Stellan Skarsgard). The director/co-writer of Kvinnorna Pa Taket is Carl-Gustaf Nykvist, son of celebrated cinematographer Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Amanda Ooms, Helena Bergström, (more)
- 1989
In order to try and patch up their failing marriage, Annika (Lena Olin) and Klas (Stellan Skarsgard) have purchased the "S/Y Gladjen," a shipwrecked yacht, at bargain basement prices, and have succeeded in fixing it up. They intend to take a year off from their lives and sail around the world in it, repairing the damage to their union that was caused by the death of their child. In the course of getting ready to sail, Annika discovers that the yacht's previous owners had suffered a similar loss, and begins to investigate. This mystery is based on the novel S/Y Gladjen by Inger Alfven. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lena Olin, Stellan Skarsgård, (more)
- 1989
This international thriller is allegedly based on a true incident in which Israeli secret agents bearing Lebanese passports killed a Moroccan guest worker living in Sweden because they believed he was a Palestinian terrorist. In the story, Hamilton (Stellan Skarsgard), a Swedish naval officer, is recruited by his country's secret service to investigate the suspicious killing of an expert on Middle Eastern affairs. When he discovers that the killer was probably Israeli, he is officially taken off the case. Being a persistent fellow, he refuses to take the hint, and travels to Lebanon to follow up on his leads. This stirs up a real hornets nest, leading to his having a climactic confrontation with Israeli assasins when he gets back home in Sweden. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård, Lennart Hjulström, (more)
- 1988
- R
- Add The Unbearable Lightness of Being to Queue Add The Unbearable Lightness of Being to top of Queue
In Philip Kaufman's surprisingly successful film adaptation of Czech author Milan Kundera's demanding 1984 best-seller, Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Tomas, an overly amorous Prague surgeon, while Juliette Binoche plays Tereza, the waiflike beauty whom he marries. Even though he's supposedly committed, Tomas continues his wanton womanizing, notably with his silken mistress Sabina (Lena Olin). Escaping the 1968 Russian invasion of Prague by heading for Geneva, Sabina takes up with another man and unexpectedly develops a friendship with Tereza. Meanwhile, Tomas, who previously was interested only in sex, becomes politicized by the collapse of Czechoslovakia's Dubcek regime. The Unbearable Lightness of Being may be too leisurely for some viewers, but other viewers may feel the same warm sense of inner satisfaction that is felt after finishing a good, long novel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, (more)
- 1988
Someone has tried to murder Mr. Perfect (Dinshaw Daji) and now the beleaguered Inspector Ghote (Krishna Shah) must figure out who tried to do it. Set in Bombay, India, this rollicking crime drama centers on Ghote's search for the would-be killer. Mr. Perfect was knocked out with a candlestick in the home of the jovial Dilap Lal, his employer. As there was no sign that the assassin forced his or her way into the home, Ghote assumes the prime suspect is Lal or one of his family members. Unfortunately, the pressures from his other cases that include a ring of jewel smugglers and a bureaucrat's purloined piece of costume jewelry prevent Ghote from giving his full attention to Perfect's assailant. That Ghote must also entertain the meddlesome Axel Svensson (Stellan Skarsgård), a renowned Swedish crime scientist, does nothing to help matters. To make matters worse, Lal's clan belongs to the upper caste, making it nearly impossible for him to get answers to his questions. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dalip Tahil, Madhur Jaffrey, (more)
- 1988
John (Dennis Christopher) is a legal assistant who investigates divorce cases in this offbeat comedy drama. He looks forward to marriage to his fiancee Sally (Edita Brychta), but his daydream is interrupted when a model plane crashes through his window. A bratty kid enters the room, followed by the child's parents, another brother, two daughters and the grandmother. The family ignores John's protests and threats to call the police. Although he has never seen these people before, everyone assures John he is among friends. He is seduced by the oldest daughter, and the son make a pass at Sally before the youngest daughter makes a pass at John. His once-predictable world is turned upside down with the arrival of his mysterious "friends." ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Christopher, Sven Wollter, (more)
- 1988
A young boy wandering with a band of gypsies is endangered when a royal proclamation grants people permission to shoot gypsies on sight. Benny Haag plays Inge and his twin brother Arild, the latter who fights with his father against the "undesirables." The father sends mercenaries to wipe out the gypsies, unaware his own son is among those slated to be executed when captured. The gypsies are portrayed as the heroes, while the blonde Swedes are clearly the enemy. Although this story takes place in the 16th century, parallels between the story and the intolerance of Swedes to foreign workers in the 1980s is evident. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benny Haag, Melinda Kinnaman, (more)
- 1987
In Sweden, the popular post-WWII newspaper cartoon strip created by Steve Terry was known as Jim & The Pirates instead of Terry and the Pirates, its U.S. moniker. In this children's story based on some of the stories from that strip, a pre-teen boy receives counseling from his dead father's ghost on how to cope with new developments in his life -- from his mother's getting a new boyfriend, to the fine art of chopping onions. The boy learns a pretty good trick from his father's shade which enables him to use his imagination to turn a boring birthday party into an ocean adventure among pirates. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ewa Fröling, Stellan Skarsgård, (more)
- 1987
This plodding, depressing drama concerns the 19th-century painters who were collectively know as the Skaw (or Skagen) Colony. The group rejected the Impressionist style of painting, opting for the realism of natural light and using the lives of the poor fishing villagers as their inspiration. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård
- 1986
A challenging and powerful adaptation of a novel by Torgny Lindgren, this drama objectively examines the quiet courage of impoverished people whose faith in God's word enables them to uncomplainingly endure the gross injustice inherent in their culture. Set in the 19th century in the rugged countryside of northern Sweden, the tale centers on Tea, a young woman who is forced to submit to the sexual desires of her landlord. Her situation is not unusual for the times, and whether or not the woman was married, it was considered a morally acceptable means of paying the rent in accordance with their interpretation of the Bible. If a woman refused to sleep with her landlord, she and her family would be evicted. The tale is told from her perspective. Tea was a young bride the first time her landlord Ole Karlsa came calling, and upon her return home she finds that her husband has hung himself. Over the years, Tea has borne many of Ole Karlsa's children, none of whom he officially claims. Despite her years of sexual service, she remains poverty-bound, but this has neither stolen her pride nor broken her spirit. She staunchly refuses to allow Ole Karlsa to get close to his illegitimate brood. Eventually the landowner dies and soon afterward his son Karl Orsa comes to collect his "rent." In between visits, Tea finds happiness for the first time in years when she becomes lovers with a romantic wanderer. Her joy is short-lived, for the drifter is arrested for stealing. More trouble comes when Karl Orsa decides that Tea is too old and that her oldest daughter, in accordance with the custom, must take her place. He refuses to listen to Tea's pleas that to sleep with her daughter would be incest, and this sets up a series of tragedies, all of which are stoically borne by Tea, her family and Karl Orsa (who is just as much a victim of culture as the rest). ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1985
A nail-biting, hair-raising suspense yarn that feeds on jealousy, this chilling film by Hans Alfredson has John (Sverre Anker Ousdal), a philandering husband, fall in love with Clara (Malin Ek), a young poetess. When Clara and John move into an apartment on the sleazy side of town, neither her former lover nor his wife put up much objection. Then oddly menacing things start to happen in the apartment: objects are misplaced in a dangerous way, the gas leaks, and someone unknown is filling the place with graffiti. Clara's health degenerates rapidly, and as ominous circumstances push her and John to the brink, a shocking revelation looms ahead. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Malin Ek, Sverre Anker Ousdal, (more)
- 1985
Following on the heels of the preceding animated feature, Pelle Svansloes (Peter No-Tail), this moppet adventure film has no real scares for the tots. Peter No-Tail -- his forever embarrassing lack of a tail makes him the butt of jokes, so to speak -- dreams that he is in the Wild West. Just as he is overcoming his enemy Hobo Mans, he wakes up. Peter decides to take a trip into the forest, but unknown to him, Hobo Mans and his catty sidekicks are after him again, and this time it is not a dream. It takes all of Peter's ingenuity with a large measure of blind luck to escape his tormentors -- but then Fate steps in and Peter has a chance to let his good nature save the day. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Erik Lindgren, Ernst-Hugo Järegård, (more)
- 1984
Noon Wine is adapted from a short story by Katharine Ann Porter. Fred Ward stars as a taciturn Swede who is hired to work on a Texas dairy farm. After he puts in nine years of hard and faithful effort, Ward's secret is revealed: when he applied for his job, he was a fugitive from a murder charge. Michael Fields wrote and directed this 90-minute TV drama. Noon Wine was first seen January 21, 1985 on PBS' American Playhouse series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
Pettersson (Stellan Skarsgård) and Bendel (Allan Edwall) (the latter a refugee from a Polish dictatorship, the former a confirmed amateur capitalist) get together in the big city to see what they can skim off the top and are successful until their luck changes and the two men are back on the bottom of the barrel again. One of the difficulties with this film is that it swings from restrained comic interludes to tragic events, and back -- while hewing to a predictable plot. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård, Allan Edwall, (more)
- 1984
Ake and His World is a long, lyrical study of a Swedish country doctor of the 1930s. Ake is the doctor's six year old son, from whose point of view this film is told. Ake watches in innocent bemusement as his busy father weighs life and death issues on a daily basis. It's possible that this Swedish film bore a little influence on the 1991 American comedy My Girl (91), in which the young heroine's father is a mortician. Allan Edwall both wrote and directed this film, which was released in its native country as Ake og hans värld. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Lindström, Loa Falkman, (more)
- 1982
A young man (Stellan Skarsgård) with a harelip deformity has been called the "idiot" since he was little because of his difficulty in talking. When his mother dies, Hoglund (Hans Alfredson), a rich, despotic, Nazi landowner brings the boy to his farm and abuses him through overwork, feeds him food unfit for consumption, and forces him to sleep in the barn. Additional verbal humiliation is piled on top of these inhumane acts, until the boy finds some sympathy and assistance from a kind family nearby. They decide to take him in, and the young man does well enough to save his earnings and buy a motorcycle -- defeating Hoglund's attempt to prevent him from getting a license. While all this is going on, the young man and Anna (Maria Johansson), the kindly farmer's daughter who is confined to a wheelchair, fall in love with each other. But Hogland is determined to ruin the family and he manages to do so by paying off all the farmer's creditors and then expelling the family from their homestead. Pushed beyond his capacity to bend, the young man kills Hoglund and escapes with Anna. During this time, he has visions of three avenging angels who have appeared before whenever he was in trouble or when he was reading the Bible. It is the angels who encouraged him to kill Hoglund, and who stay with him afterwards. He and Anna escape in Hoglund's car, and they find a temporary shelter in a very old house. When Anna starts reading to him from the Bible, he falls asleep, and she looks out the window to see that people are coming to the house. She must make a decision on how to handle this new danger, and as she reaches for the pistol that had belonged to Hoglund, the decision is reached as well. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård, Hans Alfredson, (more)
- 1973
Swedish cult-film starlet Christina Lindberg appears opposite international film star Stellan Skarsgård in director Torgny Wickman's controversial erotic drama. Anita (Lindberg) is a young girl whose troubled childhood and neglectful parents have left her hungering for love. A psychologically unstable nymphet driven to pleasures of the flesh, Anita soon finds a kindred soul in kindly university student Erik (Skarsgård). As Erik and Anita's relationship grows increasingly intimate, the sympathetic student attempts to help his troubled friend work through her many problems. Anita is more than willing to open up to Erik, and upon listening as his new friend recounts all the details of her sordid past it becomes increasingly obvious to Erik that the only way for Anita to conquer her nymphomania is to experience a genuine orgasm. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christina Lindberg, Stellan Skarsgård, (more)
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