MovieChat Forums > Kongen av Bastøy (2010) Discussion > What ever happened to Bastoy?

What ever happened to Bastoy?

posted 12 years ago by doncoyotejr
17 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed it. One of the reasons I enjoy Foreign films is they don't tie the endings up with a happy bow but leave the viewer open to make his/her own interpretation. Like "CACHE" or a Kieslowski film.
Since this is a true story , I guess based on C-1's recollections, I felt somethings should have been explained more: What was Erling sent there for? Killing a Whale? Why was wife scared of C-19? What happened to the Jerry Sandusky character? etc etc
Like "The Magdalene Sisters", there should have been at least one ending caption before the credits explaining what happened to the place.Something like:
"THE REFORMATORY ON THE ISLAND OF BASTOY REMAINED IN OPERATION HOUSING DELIQUENT NORWEGIAN BOYS UNTIL 1971, WHEN IT WAS FINALLY CLOSED DUE TO THE EFORTS OF THE ROCK GROUP ABBA"

[–] FabRambo 12 years ago

The events, like the inmate uprising is true. The story is not. Bastøy turned into a prison and is now Norways "nicest" prison where the inmates have alot of freedom. You can see it on youtube in a cut scene from Michael Moore's movie Sicko.

[–] bgbendiksen 12 years ago

My grandfather told me about this incident and others that happened on Bastø up through the century.
Bastøy skolehjem was closed down in 1970, not long after the inmates burned down the cow shed, killing the cows. I saw that fire from my kitchen window.
Statens Vernehjem Bastøy took over the buildings, and became a shelter for alcoholics without ability to work or keep a home, mostly old war-sailors.
Later it was turned into a province prison, later a state prison, an open institution with room for approximately 115 prisoners.

[–] BlackDog123 10 years ago

I realize this post is nearly 2 years old, but thank you so much for sharing. I'm American and had trouble finding historical information on the boy's home in English.

They're coming to get you, Barbara!

[–] bgbendiksen 10 years ago

no problem :)

[–] BlackDog123 10 years ago

Do you mind if I ask you a question? I really liked the movie, but I felt like so much time was spent developing the characters that the revolt itself was sort of glossed over - what was the outcome of soldiers invading the island? Were the boys shot or arrested? Do you know anything about the public perception of it? It seems like the home remained open for decades after - were any changes made?

Sorry to bombard you:) I know it's a ton of stuff to ask. If you know of an English resource, I'll be glad to look it up myself!

They're coming to get you, Barbara!

[–] sparrohawk-1 11 years ago

What a turn-around! Read about Bastoy as it is now, here:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/feb/25/norwegian-prison-inmates-treated-like-people

[–] ihoo 11 years ago

Wow, what an amazing 'prison'. Makes you wonder if it could work in the UK.

...

[–] bogwart-1 11 years ago

Erling was sent there because he had committed a murder, which is why the Governor's wife was wary of him. You'd have known that if you'd been listening instead of munching your way through three tons of popcorn.

[–] gittes98 11 years ago

no need to get rude at someone's legitimate qyestion, bogwart. it looks like your ignorence is showing.

[–] bogwart-1 11 years ago

Yes mummy, I'll watch out for legitimate qyestions in future - I'd hate for my ignorence to show.

Dumbarse.

[–] gittes98 11 years ago

Respond to rudeness with more rudeness, very mature indeed.

[–] bogwart-1 11 years ago

Christ on a bicycle, have you nothing better to do than to keep whining on like a six-year old with measles about irrelevant nonsense? Get a life.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] leonthecleaner-1 11 years ago

That must be one hell of a prison to escape with all the snow and sea, frozen or not.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] thebucketrider 10 years ago

May I ask how this was confirmed? When Erling is asked whether he really killed someone, he reminds the inquisitor that they are not to speak of their pasts. I don't recall this surfacing again and I wasn't munching popcorn.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

Since this is a true story , I guess based on C-1's recollections, I felt somethings should have been explained more: What was Erling sent there for? Killing a Whale? Why was wife scared of C-19? What happened to the Jerry Sandusky character? etc etc

But the reality is that Olav wouldn't know the answers to these questions. Erling didn't tell Olav the reason for his presence in Bastoy. How would Olav have known the governor's wife was scared by Erling's presence. What would he have known of the fates of the other boys or the warders?

There was a caption at the beginning of the film that said Bastoy operated as a boys' detention cebtre from 1910 until 1953. This means it continued for another 48 years after the rebellion. A salutary thought.

"THE REFORMATORY ON THE ISLAND OF BASTOY REMAINED IN OPERATION HOUSING DELIQUENT NORWEGIAN BOYS UNTIL 1971, WHEN IT WAS FINALLY CLOSED DUE TO THE EFORTS OF THE ROCK GROUP ABBA"

Although Abba were 3/4s Swedish ...

Why do you refuse to remember me?