Review of Rasmus and the Vagabond

Rasmus is a young boy in an orphanage in rural Sweden during the early years of the 20th century. Every time when potential foster-parents arrive, Rasmus is overlooked. Then one day he just has enough and decides to find his own foster-parents. He just walks out of the orphanage into the wide world. Along the way he meets a tramp, Oskar, who makes his living by playing his accordion at farmsteads and villages he visits in his travels, in return for a few coins or a plate of food. He joins the tramp and together they have many adventures, including crossing paths with a couple of burglars who are dressed as gentlemen. The latter have just robbed a business of a large sum of money during a hold-up. Things get problematic for the tramp and Rasmus when the 'gentlemen' spread word that the tramp and boy are behind the spate of recent burglaries in the vicinity. And almost everybody believed them and suspected the bum and his young accomplice to be the culprits.

It may sound as if this is a film rather thin on plot aimed at younger viewers. However, this movie is not as simple as it sounds and has many quality cinematic elements. The set is lavish and realistic, costumes great, but it is the cinematography in particular that impresses. Beautifully shot pastoral scenes in verdant summer landscapes, contrasted with atmospheric indoor footage. The casting is excellent too; both Allan Edwall (Oskar) and Erik Lindgren (Rasmus) play their roles with distinction. Erik Lindgren's facial expressions alone say more than words.

I score this well-crafted film a good 7/10.