Competition screening - review - IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE (Kraftidioten) by Hans Petter Moland
In Order of Disappearance is a one of a kind revenge flick that seems to unravel out of melodramatic predicaments as a father learns that his son died of a heroin overdose. This leads to a seemingly irreparable split with his wife and a suicide attempt that is suddenly interrupted by a man who pops up out of nowhere and reveals to him that his son was, indeed, killed by a group of Norwegian gangsters. Thus, begins his determined revenge as he kills each member of the gang of murderers one by one.
Yet, this is not a Steven Segal flick, and Moland exploits the realm of the conventional structure of the revenge flick to strip it of the initially implied melodrama and coat it in comedy and even absurdity, without disregarding a pinch of action and violence. In other words, In Order of Disappearance is a riotous crime film on the verge of slapstick comedy. The man out for revenge is none other than Nils, an everyman and immigrant whose only wish was to fit into society and lead a normal life. Thus, seeing this seemingly normal man take on organised crime practically by himself is hilarious in itself. On top of that, the baddies in this film hardly make up the conventions of the villains. Though they have a penchant for thoughtless violence, their madness is so exaggerated that it seems farcical.
As the film progresses, certain clever and unpredictable twist keep playing around with the format and satirises on the differences of mentality between men of different cultural background, particularly the Swedish, the Norwegians and the Serbs, as a gang for Serbia gets upset after their leader’s grandson is killed too. This portrayal of cultural difference is highlighted by the fact that every time someone dies, a title card follows with the name of the deceased and his religious sign, providing a surreal solemn moment that is just one of the many little creative touches that contribute to making Moland’s film seem imaginative.
Yet, it’s also hard to ignore a certain depth and pondering upon the theme of immigration and an original take on the aforementioned subject of cultural differences. To complete the picture, an impressive cast of big names is assembled with Stellan Skarsgård, Bruno Ganz and Pål Sverre Hagen topping the bill.
