Filming the Unfilmable

Casper Wrede's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Ben Hellmann, Andreii Rogachevskii

• Publisher: Ibidem Press
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9783838265940
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film & Video

This volume shares the fascinating story of the cinematic adaptation of one of the world's most influential novels. An all-encompassing account of the film's production and reception, the account is filled with little-known facts and valuable insight into Solzhenitsyn's complex relationship with filmmaking.

1 A FILM IN THE CAREER OF CASPER WREDE

According to Casper Wrede’s documents, issued by his Helsinki parish before he enrolled as a student at the University of Helsinki, he was born on 8 February 1929 in Lappee, Eastern Karelia (near the town of Lappeenranta), to a wealthy aristocratic Swedish family.[44] Soon the family moved to the neighbouring city of Viipuri, Finland (now Vyborg, Russia).[45] As a result of the Winter War of 1939-40, Viipuri came under the Soviet jurisdiction. Shortly before that, the Wredes fled the city, first to their relatives in Norway, and then, on the eve of the German occupation of Norway, to Sweden. In autumn 1940, the Wredes returned to Finland and settled in Helsinki. Casper was accepted into the third year at Tölö Svenska Samskola, a Swedish gymnasium in Helsinki. It has been suggested that in 1944, at the age of fifteen, he served, apparently as a volunteer, in an anti-aircraft defence unit in Helsinki, but there are no documents to verify this.[46] In 1946, he graduated from Tölö Svenska Samskola with the highest mark (laudatur). His favourite subject was history,[47] but his school education certificate reveals that he was also good at languages, arts and sport. In autumn 1946, Casper Wrede enrolled as a student at the Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki, but did not sit exams for any courses. On 22 April 1947, he enrolled as a Faculty of Arts student at the University of Gothenburg for the Spring semester of 1947 (matriculation number 1746/4988) but did not pay his fees and did not re-enrol in the autumn.[48] Afterwards he worked as a free lance journalist in Norway, where he met his mentor Amund Hønningstad (1908-72) – a translator of Fromm and Nietzsche into Norwegian and the editor of the Samfunnsliv (Society Life) journal. Hønningstad

saw our civilisation as being at the end of a 2,000-year cycle spiritually; <…> that the power of Christianity was now declining. That its hold as the spiritual regulator was weakening. That we were living in a time which would become increasingly degenerate as we lost all sense of that wise voice within which told us how to live. <…> He believed that as one spiritual impulse declined, another was being born: degeneration was always followed by regeneration. A Martian visiting Britain in February would see a grey, barren land. If you told him that within three months <…> everything would be transformed he would ask, ‘But where is all this going to come from?’ The answer would be that it is already happening, under the earth. <…> in February, the activity under the ground is phenomenal, preparing for spring. Then when it comes to fruition it does so suddenly and dramatically. <…> Amund taught that this was where we now stood. We could not see what was to come but we could be sure that it would come. Our job was to hold on to all that remained powerful and positive from the declining civilisation, to keep the ground fertile for the new impulse when it came. <…> What Casper wanted to know was what he should do, what anyone could do, to further this end <ie regeneration>. Amund’s reply was astonishing. The power to change things lies <…> rarely in so-called leaders in the political world. Politicians follow what is actually taking place, they maintain power by gauging what the Zeitgeist demands. The people who have always led have been the artists. They have been the visionaries, and, through their art, have directly influenced the hearts and minds of civilisations. In our time one art form was more important than any other: the theatre. With the decline of religion, theatre was the only place where people came together in a community and experienced the mysteries. <…> The two men, who knew nothing of the theatrical world, did their research. England was the centre of world drama. Casper must go and study theatre in England.[49]

While in Norway, Wrede made contact with theatre circles, started publishing on theatrical topics and was even asked to direct a play for the Oslo Student Theatre. As he did not have any professional training or experience, he declined the offer. Nevertheless, his interest in theatre was awoken. The fact that his aunt, Gerda Wrede, was an actress and a director at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki, also helped. In 1950, Wrede entered the Old Vic School in London, having been told that this was ‘the best thing in the world of its kind. If you want to learn about the theatre, go there’.[50] Among his tutors were the French actor and drama theorist Michel Saint...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Foreword to the Second Edition
• Preface to the Second Edition
• Introduction
• 1 A Film in the Career of Casper Wrede
• 2 Costings and Funding
• 3 Pre-Production
• 4 Filming
• 5 The Book – The Script – The Film: A Comparison
• 6 Reception
• Epilogue and Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• Selected Filmography and Bibliography
• Appendices
• Notes
• Series
• Copyright