Insomnia (1997)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Erik Skjoldbjærg

Writers:

Nikolaj Frobenius (writer)
Erik Skjoldbjærg (writer)

Release Date:

29 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Den som synder, sover ikke.

Plot:

Two criminal investigators arrive in a town in the north of Norway to help the local police solve the murder of a young girl...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Murder | Swede | Norway | Murderer

Cast

Maria Mathiesen	...	Tanja Lorentzen
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Jonas Engström
Sverre Anker Ousdal	...	Erik Vik
Gisken Armand	...	Hilde Hagen
Kristian Figenschow	...	Arne Zakariassen
Thor Michael Aamodt	...	Tom Engen
Frode Rasmussen	...	Chief of Police
Bjørn Moan	...	Eilert
Maria Bonnevie	...	Ane
Marianne O. Ulrichsen	...	Frøya
Bjørn Floberg	...	Jon Holt

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA | France:U | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Australia:M (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Nyksund, Norway

Company:

Nordic Screen Production AS

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jonas is hit by the car during the bus chase scene, in the close-up shots of the windshield he clearly cracks it but in the wide shots it is unmarked.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Insomnia (2002/I)

Soundtrack:

Hos Tanja

Why remake a good thing?

An excellent psychological drama about a cooly repressed detective unable to own up to causing the accidental death of his partner, at the same time he is persuing an author suspected of killing his young girlfriend. The detective story isn't important here - the detective has no trouble locating the killer, understanding his motives, or "solving" the crime. What is interesting is the detective's inablility to deal with his problems and face life truthfully, metaphorically illustrated by his inability to block out the sunlight and sleep. Stellan Skarsgard gives a very good performance as the detective struggling to keep control of himself and the situation. As he becomes more and more tired, his life and his desires race out of control, and his need to maintain his facade causes him to make decisions that take him to the edge of catastropy.

This film is understated in a way that the 2002 Al Pacino remake missed the boat on. It takes place in Norway, and the director resisted the temptation to show us a travelog of cute Norwegian villages. Most of the action takes place in non-descript rooms, suffused with the cold grey light of the arctic sun. The acting is understated and viewers are left to understand motivations without explicit explanation. The film is engrossing from beginning to end, and I'll never understand why Hollywood feels it needs to try to do better - it rarely can.