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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1320 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-12-26
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 265 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Giving a rare and welcome television leading role to Kenneth Branagh, Wallander is a Swedish detective who is brought to the screen in three 90 minute adventures. Based on the hugely popular novels by Henning Mankell, each of these is then collected together in this DVD set.

Branagh takes the title role, and he’s Wallander’s leading asset. His performance here is grumpy, downbeat and deliberately stuck, and he skillfully underplays his role. It’s a terrific performance from a very strong actor. Around him, mysterious and shocking crimes are taking place, and it’s his job to get to the bottom of them. He’s aided by a good, if unspectacular, supporting cast, although nods must go to Sarah Smart and Tom Hiddleston.

Filmed on location in Sweden, yet still more British in feel than you’d perhaps expect, Wallander nonetheless is intelligent, and at best gripping drama. It’s well made, too, with some stylish directional choices that may isolate some viewers, but do enhance the production. There’s clearly been a lot of thought and planning involved here, and it does pay dividends.

That said, Wallander is likely to be a divisive programme. It eschews quite a few of the conventions of the genre, instead playing things more downbeat than we’ve perhaps become accustomed to. Naturally, this is also what strengthens the programme. And, combined with Branagh in excellent form, there’s enough here to warrant further investigation. For at its best, Wallander is both brilliant, and a little bit different, and it’s very much worth checking out. --Jon Foster

DVD Description
Kenneth Branagh plays Swedish detective Kurt Wallander in three new detective dramas based on the best-selling books by Henning Mankell - an international publishing phenomenon with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. Sidetracked, Firewall and One Step Behind follow Inspector Kurt Wallander – a disillusioned everyman – as he struggles against a rising tide of violence in the apparently sleepy backwaters in and around Ystad in beautiful Southern Sweden. Baffling crimes and seemingly motiveless murders are investigated by Wallander leading to surprising and shocking discoveries in these compelling films.

Extras:
'Who is Kurt Wallander?'
'Branagh’s Wallander'
'The Wallander Look'
Branagh and Mankell Interview
Audio Description
Audio Navigation

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Sarah Smart, Sadie Shimmin, Tom Beard, Tom Hiddleston, Richard McCabe, David Warner, and Jeany Spark

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Customer Reviews

Melancholic, masterful adaptation of top-notch Swedish detective series
These three 90-minute epiosdes may have been intended for TV but they are far, far better than many films produced for the big screen. The downbeat moods of Scandinavian detective fiction don't suit everyone -- full of doubt, disillusion and the sharp edge of despair -- but if you are an enthusiast of the genre then Wallander is a real treat.

It's a risk adapting such a well-established and much loved series of books, but Branagh (one of the series producers as well as the star) is obviously a fan of Henning Mankell's work. The adaptations are a gorgeous representation of the mood and character of the books, yet you don't need to have read any of them to enjoy the series.
Each 90-minute episode is a stand-alone tale of a Wallander investigation set in current day Sweden. They were filmed on location and the photography is breath-taking. Even the most mundane moments -- Wallander slumped on a sofa, for instance -- are caught in desaturated sepia tones, accentuating the drama of an seemingly insignificant moment. When the same techniques are used to show off the eternal daylight of the Scandinavian summer then the results are breath-taking. Almost every shot is a framed, still life artwork. You could watch it with the sound off, just to enjoy the visuals.

But that would be to miss some of the best screen acting of Branagh's career. His portrayal of Wallander, the 'poet detective' with a heart full of sadness and confusion, is marvellous. He can shift from uncertain to near tears in a single sustained shot -- the emotional transitions are sometimes so powerful that it's painful to watch. Yet when Wallander has a purpose he shrugs off that misery and moves with a determination which is unstoppable. It's a wonderful character performance.
David Warner as Wallander's father was an inspired choice too, although I was disappointed to see him in just one epiosde. The special features are also worth watching as they explain much of the production team's dedication towards getting this series as right as they could. On top of that there's a solid supporting cast, some excellent, wry scripting, tight plotting, three mysteries which you can try to solve and a very human dilemma in each episode, occasionally lightened by a sense of resolution, family and reconciliation.

Intelligent drama, beautifully presented. No hesitation buying this to watch repeatedly, although it may be just to miserable (and possibly too thoughtful) for some.
9/10

INTELLIGENT, ATMOSPHERIC, SLOW BURNING QUALITY...
Yet more good drama from the BBC!
Branagh is VERY good here (I'm not a fan!), the stories are excellent & link well together, GREAT characters & the simply stunning scenery of Sweden add the icing!
Impressive, often minimalistic photography (none of that flashy CSI style nausea) and at times a journey into the heart of darkness; surprisingly violent at times but never gratuitous.
Wallander makes for a more believable 'cop with baggage' and the only one better at the moment is Ken Stott's excellent take as Rebus (come back soon!).
Real praise must go to David Warner as the title character's father fighting a losing battle against dementia. A great performance, never once descending into overt sentimentality.
A good year for the Beeb with Apparitions, Survivors, this, and the high standards still maintained in the likes of Casualty.

Superlative
I was looking forward to this show from the moment it was announced by the BBC.....Branagh to me is one of the best if not THE best actor going at the moment and it was a real result getting him to do this for the small screen.
Now i haven't read the books(starting now though i am) so i can't compare from page to screen but everything about the show was excellent..
The acting as you would expect was first class....Branagh played Wallender as a very real human being,broken about his life outside work but still not doing anything to change it..perhaps he doesn't know how...
The cinematography was simply outstanding...for a tv show it was much much better than alot of films you see ..
I had the bennefit of watching in HD and it looked stunnng...

I very much hope the Beeb pulls out all the stops to get the entire team back that put together this production for more shows asap.....
I loved it...

Incidently if you are looking for more shows like this i would suggest the Tom Selleck cop drama's Jesse Stone..Very underplayed..excellent..