Evil (Ondskan)
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Evil is in our world, there’s no denying it. It transcends all facets of our lives, and exists merely for the sake of its own existence. While we can’t argue its presence, we can certainly debate its manifestations.

Early in our film, Erik Ponti (an amazing Andreas Wilson) is told by his principal that he is pure evil. He’s a promising student, but with a propensity for violence which we witness in his unrelenting thrashing of a fellow student.

Does this make Erik evil? At face value, perhaps. But we the viewers also see Erik’s home life, where his stepfather physically abuses him for no apparent reason. Maybe Erik is a good kid, reacting to his surroundings. Does this make his stepfather evil? This we cannot answer, since we cannot tell if he beats Erik just for the sake of inflicting pain, or if something in his background created this behavior. By nature, are actions evil, or is it the underlying intent behind the action where the evil resides?

As a last resort to ensure Erik graduates, his mother sends him off to an exclusive boarding school, which on the surface seems like the perfect place for Erik. It’s highly structured, rich in tradition, and might help him focus on his grades and get his diploma.

But we soon learn, evil doesn’t differentiate among social or political structures, and Erik discovers that the reserved climate of the school veils a corrupt and violent hierarchy that keeps the younger students in line by means of the Council, a dozen older students that rule the campus with an iron fist.

Unfortunately for the Council, and centuries of tradition, Erik is tired of being beaten down, and his upbringing has toughened him up enough to take a stand. His roommate, Pierre, offers some sound advice – don’t make waves, keep your head down, and just graduate. But will Erik be able to stare true evil in its face and ignore it, or will he throw his future to the wind and fight back?

The tension throughout “Evil” is palpable – we already know Erik is capable of exacting his revenge on the Council – the question is, will he? Every scene I thought would end with him exploding, but his humanity keeps his animal instinct in check. It’s very easy to root for Erik throughout the film, and it’s almost heartbreaking watching him endure cruelty after cruelty without snapping. It’s in the Council’s best interest to break him as an example to the other students, and their punishments become more and more violent and heartless trying to get him to snap. In the end, while I would have like to witness a Charles Bronson method of justice, Erik makes a move that surprised me at first, but made perfect sense in the context of the film.

“Evil” was an incredible film, and while it was hard to watch some of the more violent scenes, it also made the viewer really understand Erik’s predicament, since the threats to his wellbeing were very physical in nature.

And yes, it’s a violent film. This was a couple of notches above “Fight Club” in its brutality. I’m a sadistic bastard, but some of these scenes turned my stomach.

The harsh reality of Erik’s world can also be beautiful, the scenery and music were very picturesque, and were a perfect juxtaposition to the action.

I can easily recommend this film to anyone, and the very ending is the only thing that keeps from giving “Evil” a perfect score (this could have ended about 4 minutes sooner and I would have completely satisfied).

“Evil” is a powerful 4 ½ cans, and is well worth tracking down. And I’ll have to agree with the Academy on this one for once, partially, as it was nominated for Best Foreign Film in ’03.

Added:  Wednesday, June 14, 2006

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