Communicator (communicator) wrote,
Communicator
communicator

Sleeping with Wallander

BBC4 are showing all of Swedish Wallander, starting at episode 1, with the swans on fire. My friend who came to stay at the weekend said he preferred the BBC Branagh version. The British version is more heavyweight, it's got a bigger budget, and a very big actor, and because it comes to the character knowingly it is more extreme in its existential dread. It's classy, but I think I like the Swedish one better.

Swedish Wallander is a completely different show, to me. It's gentle and comforting in a quite unique way. Here's the thing - I always fall asleep. I don't know if it's the music, the soft colour tones, the intermittent violence, the gentle banter. It's very pleasant.

It screens from 9-10.30 pm. At 9pm I am always 'Well, luckily this evening I am not tired, and I will watch it all the way through'. By 10pm I am holding my eyes open by main force of will... blinking slowly... missing the subtitles because my eyes are unfocussed... the incomprehensible dialogue washing over me... someone is walking on the shore of the Baltic... the sound of gulls.... 'Wake up Mum, Wallander's over'. Damn it.

But the funny thing is, I enjoy it, and the falling asleep is part of what I enjoy.
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