Wallander’s half-finished heaven
The BBC never had an announcement at the end of the programme. You know the sort of thing, “if you have been affected by issues raised by this programme, there is a helpline.” If there had been a helpline, there would have been a moment’s temptation to call it, for with the passing years I am finding it harder to deal with the illness.
It was the final episode of the English version of “Wallander,” in which the detective was played by Kenneth Branagh, the episode is the one in which Kurt Wallander comes to terms with the fact that he is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.
Two years ago, the Swedish Wallander bowed out with Henrik Kristersson, who played the title role, taking the character from lucidity, through frustration, anger and bewilderment, and, for increasingly brief moments, back to lucidity again. In the Swedish version, Wallander’s final speech was made to his colleagues and allowed a public recognition, an acknowledgement by everyone present, that he was suffering a medical condition that prevented him continuing his duties; there was no need for anyone to feel that social etiquette demanded they deny reality, no need for anyone to comment that things were, perhaps, not as bad as they seemed.
It was odd to be moved to tears by a television detective programme, but Wallander embodied a sense of the grief and pain of the many people I have known who have gone that way, except they had no possibility of a farewell speech.
Branagh’s Wallander makes no final speech to colleagues, but instead he attends a funeral and reads a poem at the graveside. The lines are from the 2011 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Tomas Transtromer:
The Half-Finished Heaven
Despondency breaks off its course.
Anguish breaks off its course.
The vulture breaks off its flight.The eager light streams out,
even the ghosts take a draught.And our paintings see daylight,
our red beasts of the ice-age studios.Everything begins to look around.
We walk in the sun in hundreds.Each man is a half-open door
leading to a room for everyone.The endless ground under us.
The water is shining among the trees.
The lake is a window into the earth.
Never understanding poetry, I was unsure if Transtromer’s poem offered lines by which the illness might be interpreted. There seemed something in its imagery that might be used to describe the drifting from lucidity to opacity and back again. The breaking off captures a sense of unfinished sentences, lost words. Perhaps half-finished heaven could describe that final place where an end has been reached and where nothing is complete.
Was watching the final episode of Wallander last night, and was made curious enough by Brannaghs’ graveside to do a google search
For someone who says they don’t understand poetry, I think you’ve done a good job interpreting some.
Thank you.
My literary abilities are very limited. The last time I took an English Literature exam was for my A levels (the British examinations taken when you are eighteen). I got an “E” grade.
beautiful interpretation
In tears, after watching closing episode of Wallander, finding your writing about poem..Half Finsihed Heaven’ ~ know anguish of art, painting ~ as from ice-age studios being link to memory, fastening of iron dreams to wisps of dried, spent grasses leaning away from prevailing winds on a beach. Comforting revisit by father as guide, whose paintings were a constant map to the lake, through a forest, to a light, shining!
It is a heartrending piece
Always enjoy Kenneth Branagh delivering either Shakespeare lines or in this case poetry.
I think I left school at 15 with a english level of F, Ian, that perceived label is not important, it is the journey through life that is important!
The poem just struck a cord with me, so Googled the three words, and found the complete poem. I think poems should be treated as works of art, your really have understand them, if you find the resonating of the words pleasing then the poet has done their job.
One of the most thought-provoking poems I ever read. One that makes you pour over it and delve deeply into your own mind. Brilliant. Thanks to Kenneth Branagh who bought yet more of his special talent to our screens.
Love ❤️ to all those who have been there to remember the memories for a loved one who has forgotten.
I just watched the final episode on Netflix. Such a tragic way to conclude the story; but as a media historian, the line about how someone else will remember your memories for you (which Kurt’s dad spoke to him) really resonated. Beautifully acted, very thought-provoking, and the poem was perfect– I wonder how it was chosen.
I suppose there was going to be no happy way to bring the story to a close, Kenneth Branagh’s Wallander made an exit more poetic than that of Henrik Kristersson, but both were tragic. I assume that a desire to acknowledge Wallander as Swedish prompted the choice of Transtromer’s work.