The time is 1973 before smartphones and the internet. The film ‘Stockholm’ is billed as the “absurd but true story” about a crime that gave rise to the term Stockholm syndrome. It is the psychological phenomenon in which a hostage bonds with the captor. Another high profile incident followed in 1974 when Patty Hearst was kidnapped and convicted of a bank robbery perpetuated by her captors. ‘Stockholm’ is extremely entertaining due to the charisma of the two leads, Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace. Through a growing symbiotic relationship, we witness how a criminal and honest citizen could fall for each other during a traumatic event like a bank robbery.
A man enters a central bank in Stockholm wearing a wig, cowboy hat and black leather jacket adorned with the Texas flag. He fires a couple rounds from his submachine gun, turns on a portable radio playing a Bob Dylan song because every bank robbery needs a good soundtrack. Lars Nystrom (Hawke) is a convict born in Sweden and raised in the U.S. He takes bank officer Bianca Lind (Noomi Rapace) as his principal hostage. Hawke is terrific in the role and attacks his performance with relish. Written and directed by Robert Budreau, ‘Stockhom’ is a mix of dark comedy and an effective thriller. Budreau also worked with Hawke in the highly acclaimed 2016 Chet Baker jazz film ‘Born to Be Blue.’
As we get to know Lars through Bianca, we see that he is not a completely bad person. As he negotiates with the police, we discover that he is heavily influenced by American pop culture. He demands a getaway car that is the same Mustang model that Steve McQueen drove in ‘Bullitt.’ He also demands that another convict Gunnar Sorensson (Mark Strong) be released from prison and brought to the bank. When one of the female hostages has her period, Lars also negotiates tampons to be provided to her. This actually happened during the incident. The film is shot entirely in Sweden which gives the story authenticity. As hours turn into days, there is a standoff when the Prime Minister of Sweden refuses to let them leave the bank with the hostages.
It’s fascinating to watch the relationship develop between Lars and Bianca. She is a wife and mother of two. Why would she show her captor empathy? It is difficult to say for sure but it probably has something to do with being under an incredibly stressful event. One minute her life is in danger and the next minute she embraces him like they are a romantic couple. Budreau ratchets up the tension when the robbers and hostages move to the bank vault. Mistakes are made on both sides by the robbers and police. The audience’s loyalties change too. One minute you will be rooting for the cops to end it peacefully while also rooting for Lars to pull off his escape. Budreau purposely makes us empathize with the bank robbers just like his hostages do. ‘Stockholm’ is an effective crime drama with a psychological twist.
‘Stockholm’ works due to the fine performances by Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace. Rapace is a Swedish-born actress best known for her role as Lisbeth Salander in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo crime series. After watching her performance, it makes sense why a victim could have sympathy with a criminal. This is a stranger than fiction story. Hawke continues to impress me with his artistic choices. He picks films that won’t set the box office on fire but are just as entertaining and compelling to watch. If you are fascinated as I am about psychology and how people behave during stressful events, you will want to catch ‘Stockholm’ at your local arthouse theater.
