Friedrich, the protagonist of Love & Anarchy, may not be your typical character in an opera production. He’s overweight, burps and cracks vulgar jokes during his first meeting with the love of his life, Emilia. But it’s Friedrich’s humanity that makes him so relatable to the audience, says Johan Reine Brynolfsson, who plays Friedrich during Opera Philadelphia’s international tour of this Swedish opera by composer Lars-Erik Larsson and librettist Mats Ek. Love & Anarchy: Reine Brynolfsson as Friedrich
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Who Is Reine Brynolfsson
Born and raised in northern Sweden, actor Reine Brynolfsson cut his teeth on stage before moving to TV and film roles. The past year saw him appearing in two seasons of SVT’s hugely popular period drama Vikingarna, where he plays Leif Eriksson (sometimes referred to as Leif Ericson). Last autumn he played Dragan Ilic in Michael Hjorth’s crime series Vägen Ut (The Way Out), and he can currently be seen playing Friedrich Engels opposite Vilgot Sjöman’s Marx in Ruben Östlund’s comedic romance Love & Anarchy. He is married to Swedish actress Julie Engell.
The movie
Born in 1982, 32-year-old Swedish actor Reine Brynolfsson is best known for his portrayal of Lenin in October, a 2010 Danish-Swedish television series that was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. His performance received critical acclaim, with one critic referring to him as the most compelling character on screen.
He has also appeared in several stage productions and acted in more than a dozen films, including The Hypnotist, which was released last year and tells a disturbing tale of satanic rituals and sexual abuse. The film has been named one of Sweden’s must-see movies of 2013 by several critics.
The music
The opening scene of Love and Anarchy is set in a house of ill repute. A German spy named Fritz (Lorre) has been hired by anarchist assassin Johan (Brando). Brando’s character laments in voice-over, I have neither a trade nor an identity card. I have no papers, nothing but my name and that’s enough to put me in jail.
Reine Brynolfsson Play Role Friedrich
New film Love and Anarchy, which tells about a young journalist Carl von Essen who is in love with Russian anarchist Anna (Maria Schrader). Actor plays Friedrich, leader of an anarchist group. Film director Lukas Moodysson says that He is one of his favorite movie roles. And it was not just because he portrayed a character with such an important cause – it is because he had a lot to work on in terms of developing his character. And I wanted him to play a man and not just a political radicalist or agitator who wants to foment revolution in society.
The voice
Giving your narrative a clear-cut point of view is important. You may have characters telling their stories or thoughts, but it’s crucial to write in either first or third person so you can stick with one narrator for your whole story. First person narratives are easier and more fun to write, but that I can sometimes get stale if not used correctly. Don’t use it over and over—the narrator should only jump in when necessary. If you don’t feel comfortable writing from first person perspective, try third person limited instead.
The visuals
Overall, I was pleased with how Love and Anarchy turned out. The story was compelling and explored new territory in film that hadn’t been well-explored previously. The film explores a complex relationship between a mother and son, with their two mindsets differing strongly throughout most of their relationship. As a whole, I think it’s worth watching if you have an interest in foreign films or want to watch something that you haven’t seen before. It offers some great performances for those interested in modern cinema and has a unique storyline; anyone who enjoys good character writing should find it enjoyable.
Final thoughts on the film, character, and performance
I’m a film nut and have always had an interest in films that have political themes. Love & Anarchy is one of those kind of films, and it has a lot to say about some pretty heavy topics. I found director Carlos Saura’s approach to be refreshingly unique, and with performances like Reine Brynolfsson’s I knew what I was going to get. As he consistently proves throughout his career, much like Marcello Mastroianni or Klaus Kinski before him, he is one of those actors who delivers consistently great performances no matter how small or supporting a role may be.
