Arild Rønsen, Netflix | Ellevill farce about Clark Olofsson and the Stockholm syndrome
The comments expresses the opinions of the writer.
“Clark” is about the notorious thug Clark Olofsson, best known as a bank robber. In the summer of 1973, he is imprisoned as an ordinary person, but is released at the request of a colleague. Janne Olsson has entrenched herself in the vault of the bank located on Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm city. The police really believe that Clark Olofsson is the man who can solve the tangles!
Olofsson was often referred to as “Sweden’s first pop gangster”. He is today 75 years old, and lives in freedom after being released from his (so far?) Last sentence in 2018.
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The Netflix series is based on Olofsson’s memoirs «What happened ‘(Ordupplaget, 2015/2016). “Based on truth and lies”, it says in the TV box. It must be true and proven. The events – not least the depiction of the robbery on Norrmalmstorg – are somewhat in line with what is written in the history books.
Just as fully, it is also a truth that director Jonas Åkerlund takes freedom, so great that this must in no way be perceived as any kind of document. This is the story of the pop gangster Clark! He charms everything and everyone, and fucks himself through a bunch of bank robberies – often with the involuntary help of a well-meaning actor who stays with Clark on the run. She’s the type who thinks it’s not Clark there’s something wrong with, he’s just sadly misunderstood; of course, it is the “system” that fails. Actually, Clark is just kind!
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A parody of the “left” in Sweden in the 70s? Yes, yes men true! As the Swedes tend to say.
Clark becomes the “rebel editor” in the prisoners’ own publication, escaping with the help of some rakes he has carpented. Vipps, then the rakes have become a useful ladder. We are going to Beirut; to Christiania in Copenhagen; at the disco with Ted Gärdestad as soundtrack.
All the time, it’s Clark himself who tells. And perhaps the narrator is allowed to add and subtract, just as it suits him?
The police force is portrayed as stupid as Sjöwall & Wahlöö did in their novels – «police, police, mashed potatoes». If we did not know better, we could suspect the author couple of having taken their characters from “Olsenbanden”. They have a lot in common with Hans Holmér, political leaders who to such an extent drove the investigation of the Palme murder into the ditch, and in terms of appearance, they evenly look like German porn actors in the fast-paced childhood of color film.
The hostages in the banking drama, of course, go over to the robbers’ side. And does Clark get a girlfriend down there in the vault? Stupid question.
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Bill Skarsgård does an excellent job in the lead role, and as actually Clark Olofsson on the grain as he likes to describe himself – as a mix of Pippi Longstocking and Al Capone.
The “Stockholm syndrome” is an expression of the fact that hostages after a while take sides for their abusers. «Clark» gives, as you have understood, no in-depth analysis of the phenomenon – but perhaps Jonas Åkerslund’s story is in line with the fact that the police actually hire Clark Olofsson to do the job at Norrmalmstorg?