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Voldtekt (1971)

Director:
Anja Breien

COUNTRY
Norway

Genre
Drama/Crime

NORWEGIAN TITLE
Rape

RUNNING TIME
93 minutes

Producers:
Harald Ohrvik

Screenwriters:
Anja Breien
Per Blom


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING

Anders

Svein Sturla Hungnes
Wilhelmine Hansen Anne Marie Ottersen
Rita Liv Thorsen ½
Aktor Per Carlson ½
Forsvareren Olav Hestenes
Lagmannen Kjell Stormoen -
Frank Iversen Sverre Horge -
Holen, betjent Erik Øksnes -
Karen Katja Medbøe -
Other parts Bente Børsum
Anne Marit Jacobsen
-

 

Review

Anja Breien's stripped down, almost documentarian style and nonlinear narrative structure make this dissection of rape – or rather the indictment and trial of a suspected rapist – a fascinating watch. Filmed in black and white utilizing lots of introspective close-ups, quick intercutting and almost no music, Voldtekt is semi-experimental both aesthetically and thematically, not least in its factual but reversed rendition of the trial itself. A clever choice was casting real-life lawyers, most notably renowned criminal defence counsel Olav Hestenes. This and Svein Sturla Hungnes' aptly understated performance give the film an authenticity which was rather unusual for Norsk Film's productions in this time period. The film effectively underscores the impossible situation an accused can find himself in, and its continued relevance is a testament to the timelessness in Breien's focal point.

Copyright © 06.12.2021 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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