With long takes, sudden flashbacks and alternate perspectives, Jan Troell, one of Scandinavia's most remarkable directors, starts off his ninth feature film by telling the background story leading up to a triple homicide that took place during a summer night nearby a cemetery on the 3rd of July 1988 in Åmsele, Sweden. Jan Troell's examining reconstruction follows the life story of a juvenile rebellion and the doomed romance between him and his more grounded girlfriend who involuntarily becomes his accomplice.Earlier films like Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) and Terrence Malick's "Badlands" (1973) may come to mind when reading about this film, but "Il Capitano" is a quite different film and a far more realistic portrayal of romance leading to crime. Two converging psychological studies of character that goes very closely into the mind of the anti-hero male character and his subdued girlfriend stand at the center of this Sweden-Finland-Germany co-production, an acute reconstruction, which was awarded with the Silver Bear at the Berlinale in 1992 for best director. Jan Troell and his co-writers Göran Setterberg and Per Olov Enquist has divided the story into chapters and tells it through a highly efficient non-linear narrative that increases the unpredictability. The naturalistic and bleak milieu depictions, the distinct cinematography and the ominous music elevates the poignant atmosphere in this character-driven thriller which is convincingly acted by Maria Heiskanen and Antti Reini who where reunited seventeen years later in Jan Troell's enchanting "Everlasting Moments" (2008).

Great Swedish movie! Can't believe that this film have got such poor grade on this website. This is a well-directed film, with excellent actors, i think it's a good portray on a psychopathic personality, for example Jaris manipulate and brutal way against Minna or his complete lack of emotions during the trial. I would have given this movie a 10 if it wouldn't have ended so abrupt, you have to google for the trials verdict (Juha (Jari) got life in prison, Marita (Minna) was released the next year) If you like psychological movies like Badlands, In cold blood and Bonnie & Clyde you will like this one.

Slow and boring film about a triple murder that took place in Sweden 1988. Based on real events that is but it´s impossible to say how realistic the film is as most of the film portrays the two people alone and who does really know what happened to them. Jan Troell is a much better director than he proves to be in this film.