The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared (film)

Plot

In 2005, Allan Karlsson (Robert Gustafsson) lives alone at a retirement home in Malmköping, Sweden with his pet cat Molotov as his only company. When, Molotov is killed by a fox, an enraged Allan gets revenge by blowing up the fox using dynamite. On the same day as his centenary celebration, Allan climbs out of the window and disappears, walking to the bus station intending on travelling as far as he can. Whilst waiting for his bus, a young skinhead (Simon Säppenen) angrily demands Allan watch his suitcase whilst he uses the toilet. Instead, Allan leaves with the suitcase and boards the bus, which takes him as far as Byringe. By the time he leaves Malmkoping, the his caretakers inform the police of Allan's disappearance. Chief Inspector Aronsson (Ralph Carlsson), of the Police leads the investigation into Allan's sudden and unexpected disappearance. Inspector Aronsson is not aware of the suitcase in Allan's possession.

Parts of the film co-exist with the main story as a set of flashback in Allan's life. In his childhood, Allan's father invents the condom, an invention that was seen by the Swedish monarchy as blasphemous. Enraged, Allan's Father travels to Russia to set up his own republic and support his invention, only to be executed by firing squad. Whilst still young, Allan's sick mother eventually passes away, but her final words to him are to never think or talk too much. In her words, she tells Allan that 'That is what it is, and that it will be what it will be'.

After being released from a mental health hospital, Allan finds work at the Cannon Foundry, where he befriends Esteban, a young Spanish revolutionary. Esteban, though incredibly talkative, convinces Allan to go with him to Spain to fight the Nationalist regime under Francisco Franco. Immediately, Esteban is killed, the lessons of talking too much taught to him by his Mother instantly returning to Allan. Allan's expertise in explosives makes his job of blowing up bridges crucial to the Republican forces. However, moments before destroying a bridge, Allan's desire suddenly extinguishes and he decides to leave. Soon, the staff car of Franco is approaching the bridge he was supposed to demolish, the bridge detonating seconds after Allan had waved down Franco's car, therefore putting Allan as a hero in Franco's mind. The Nationalist Leader invites Allan to a dinner, where he presents his favorite Pistol to him for saving his life.

Years after the Civil War, Allan sells the Pistol to buy a work permit to travel to America. Whilst working on the construction of a Skyscraper, Allan is informed by another worker that the worlds biggest bomb is being assembled. Allan's passion for explosions is re-ignited and he helps Robert Oppenheimer (Philip Rosch) in successfully developing the atomic bomb. For his work, Allan receiving praise from Harry S. Truman (Kerry Shale) for 'building a bomb that will stop all wars'. During a drunken dinner, Truman is informed by telephone that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then President of the United States, has died, Truman being immediately sworn in as President.

Allan returns to Sweden, but on touching down he is met unexpectedly by representatives of the Swedish government, keen on his knowledge of the atomic bomb. However, they are totally unconvinced that Allan, who never attended a university, could have any vital role in its development of the bomb and thus abandon any attempt to interrogate him further. A man named Popov later befriends Allan, manages to get him drunk and leads him to Moscow. Alan was brought before Josef Stalin to detail his role in the Manhattan Project. However, the easily convincing Allan turns the interrogation into a party during which he accidentally admits that he saved Franco's life before. Infuriated that he saved a sworn enemy to Communism, Stalin imprisons Allan in a SIberian labor camp where he happens upon Albert Einstein's twin brother, the totally inept Herbert Einstein.

Cast