In Order of Disappearance

In Order of Disappearance (Kraftidioten)

(2016)

Directed by: Hans Petter Moland

Written by: Kim Fupz Aakeson

Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Anders Baasmo Christiansen,

Pål Sverre Hagen, Bruno Ganz

Rating: 18A

Release Date: August 26th, 2016*

Stellan Skarsgård & Kristofer Hivju have a laugh in In Order of Disappearance
Image Source 

     It's tough to see what would draw people to live in a cold, dark and desolate place like Norway, yet I say that never having been there. If In Order of Disappearance is any indication, it's just like everywhere else; corruption, cynicism, revenge, violence and despair run rampant. It's only the sheer force of a father's love that can stamp out evil where it lies - in it's cold dead heart. And what better place for such an organ than the cold, dead heart of Norway. Although Hans Moland's film is most definitely soaked in Norwegian culture as well as originality, the film also has a lot to say about the dualistic nature between despair and hope that lies at the centre of the universal human condition, all through a blood soaked lens. 

     In Order of Dissapearance follows Nils Dickman, (Stellan Skarsgård), a snow plow operator and business owner who has just won a national award for his essential work on the icy veins that are Norwegian roadways. Quiet and unassuming, Nils is unthreatening, and his award seems like a boring achievement for a boring man, yet satisfactory in the fact Nils' job serves a purpose and helps a great deal of people. Nils might not be rich and famous, but he likes what he does, he loves his family, he sticks to his simple principles and his simple life. His son, Ingvar, works as a turnaround agent, (a baggage handler), at the local airport. Unbeknownst to Nils as he accepts his award, Ingvar has been simultaneously murdered and left on the street to rot, as a warning to those who steal from the local drug lords. However, Ingvar didn't steal anything - his coworker did - Nils' son just happens to be collateral damage. Nils is left hopeless, without a son, with a wife who only stayed with him because they had a child together, and a business that's worth nothing if it has no heir. The police see Ingvar's death as a heroin overdose, but Nils isn't so sure. At his wits end, and with a gun in his mouth, it's not until Ingvar's thieving coworker finds Nils and spills his guts, convincing Nils that his son was an innocent bystander, and the local kingpin, Ole Forsby, (Pål Sverre Hagen), is to blame. With nothing to lose and vengeance in his soul, Nils gets ready to serve up a dish of revenge - served ice cold, Norwegian-style. 

     There's not much new in the plot of In Order of Dissapearance, but that's one of its most brilliant plays; it's subverts the genre. While the film does wear its Cohen Brothers and Tarantino influences on its sleeve, it's unabashedly original. From Nils' suicidal moment where his steel rifle sticks to his lip because it's so cold, to the jokes between Nils and a drug dealer before Nils blows the dealer's head off, the film pushes the limits of gallows humor to the extreme. The subject matter of the film is dead serious, but the actual carrying out of Nils' revenge plot and it's wide reaching repercussions are so beyond logic, common sense and human decency, one is forced to laugh; even the title is a subtle in-joke about the order of deaths within the film, each successive one becoming more and more insane. By subverting the genre through breaking the fourth wall, having Nils' character be indifferent and efficient and the antagonist so childish and cruel, the film simultaneously becomes a brilliant genre picture while also satirizing the outlandishness of revenge plots. The end result is a feverish mix of sick, twisted and demented humor, coupled with a gripping and poignant revenge tale, and a final dose of morality parachuting into the mix. Although I haven't seen any of his past work, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for whatever screenwriter Aakeson comes up with next, as well as the efficient style of director Hans Moland.

     Norway, as of late, has been coming out with some brilliant cinema. Involved partially with the award winning Force Majeure, Headhunters and completely with the wonderfully inspiring 2013 Oscar nominee, (Best Foreign Language Film), Kon-Tiki, (which also starred a large portion of In Order of Disappearance's cast), the Norwegian people are coming out with cinema that is original, crisp, and damn entertaining, and In Order of Dissapearance continues that tradition. It's exciting to see such brilliant work in film coming from somewhere where English isn't the dominant language. Additionally, the English speaking actors, (here speaking Norwegian), prove themselves to be multilingual masters of their craft; Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Pål Sverre Hagen and Bruno Ganz all give complex and adroit performances, while Stellan Skarsgård, (Good Will Hunting, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Thor, Amistad), gives a stellar performance as a normal man violently forced into an abnormal underworld. 

     Overall, In Order of Disappearance is sick, twisted, surprising, hilarious, intellectual and deeply steeped in moral consequence. While it is no doubt influenced by the genre pictures of 1990's Hollywood, it has it's own distinct and original style, bolstered by a whip-smart script, deft direction and top-tier acting. If these are the kind of tales Norwegians are telling, it's time the cinematic world starts listening. 

GRANT'S RATING: 5/5 STARS

In Order of Disappearance Clip: "Finn Hides in Nils' Office"

*While In Order of Disappearance has just been released in North America, it's been out on the global market for some time, and was released in Norway in 2014.