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| Insomnia All from Amazon |
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Insomnia
List Price:
Amazon Price: $22.92
Average Customer Rating:  (59 reviews)
Editorial Review: This 1997 film from Norway and neophyte director Erik Skjoldbjærg delivers the goods with unsettling effectiveness. It's an intense, smart, and taut thriller if only because what it eerily implies is creepier than the film's reality. Opening with a churning, chilling murder of a young woman, Insomnia invites the viewer--as well as its protagonist, celebrated Oslo homicide cop Jonas Engström (Stellan Skarsgård)--into the mind and thoughts of a killer by making Engström fatally flawed himself. While in pursuit of the murderer, Engström makes a mistake; he accidentally shoots his partner and friend and covers up his deed in a panic. But he overlooks a minor detail: the real killer has seen him commit the crime. What ensues is a layered, complex, and unnerving descent into chaos, brought on by the inability to sleep in this land of the midnight sun. Engström suffers from insomnia, which warps his logic and resolve, and before long he's totally unraveled and unsure of h...
Customer Reviews:
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
 Norge! Norge! Norge!, 2008-03-21
I just finished watching this movie and I have been wondering what makes this movie special. Stripping this film of its foreignness, I realized that this would be a great thriller/crime drama here in the states, sure to do well in the box office and probably be up there in the average B+ range for critics. Tossing that foreignness back on, the movie shifts to that A range (which it seems barely any movie makes it to nowadays).
The reason for this is no doubt the Norwegian/Swedish cast and Erik Skjoldbjærg direction in the ethereal landscape of Norway. The fact of the matter is, there is rarely a ethereal scene. Most shots are focused on the characters or are limited to a space in which the character may run off to. Skjoldbjærg somehow manages to find the grime and darkness of Norway (which, for those of you who have been there may agree, is one heck of a feat; as houses are brightly painted (as are buildings in the cities), trees lush and green, rolling hills with hues of yellow and green so rich). Not to mention the fact that this is Northern Norway, one of the "Lands of the Midnight Sun". Swedish actor, Stellan Skarsgård who is currently doing quite well in Hollywood, is fantastic. His spiral downward is as rough on him as it is on the viewer.
For language buffs, like myself, Norwegian and Swedish are spoken throughout the movie. In the world of linguistics, it seems that is is a well known fact that Norwegians understand Swedish much better than Swedes understand Norwegian. There is a scene where the detective, who is from Sweden, speaks to a Norwegian in Swedish and the man complains he hasn't a clue what he is saying. An interesting twist of this "well-known fact".
3 of 3 found this review helpful:
 The fine line between good and evil., 2008-01-08
The thing I love about foreign language movies is that the heroes aren't always all that good. They're allowed to be morally ambiguous, just like most human beings are. The original Norwegian version of "Insomnia" is a perfect example of this fact. "Insomnia" is a case study of how anyone can make mistakes under the right (or wrong, depending on how you look at things) set of circumstances and how often the line between cop and criminal can become blurred. Stellen Skarsgard plays hot-shot Swedish detective, Jonas Engstrom, who has been called to northern Norway to investigate a murder. However, as the film progresses, Engstrom's actions resemble more and more those of the killer whom he is trying to catch. It is possible that Engstrom's actions are due to his lack of sleep caused by the endless days in the Arctic Circle, but unlike in the 2002 remake, which starred Al Pacino and Robin Williams, it is never really made clear as to whether this is the real reason or not. It is left up to the viewer to decide. It is for this reason that I believe the original version of "Insomnia" is far superior to the remake and for this reason that I strongly recommend it.
2 of 3 found this review helpful:
Mich Better than the US Version, 2007-12-06
This was a well-acted, excellent tale of murder and human frailty. As usual, hollywood's interpretation was shallow by comparison. Don't let Pacino/Williams' less cerebral version stop you from watching this, the original.
2 of 2 found this review helpful:
Oh, he did a bad, bad thing..., 2006-11-11
When I first watched this film the Keitel-cult classic - of the same insightful creation - continued to impress my mind. I speak of the lewd film, Bad Lieutenant (of which I was not overly fond of) where a corrupt cop solves the mystery of an unspeakable crime. Insomnia oddly follows the same vein, but in more of an inconspicuous nature. Instead of pushing the despicable nature of the main character - in this case it is Engström - our fearless and simple director gives it to us very under the radar. Pealing back each layer with delicacy, Skjoldbjærg gives us a crime, followed by a random act of innocence, followed by a small cover-up, followed up with a never-ending stream of light, which is all surrounded by the fear of the unknown and the endless possibilities that the world that has been created around us can instantly be crumbling down upon everyone involved. I enjoyed this film so much because of this small, insatiable sensation that Skjoldbjærg instantly created with his slow moving camera, his deadpan scenes filled with Norwegian chills, and that light - the unending light that haunts Skarsgård's flawless portrayal of Engström. It impressed me to see how the technique of light was used under the guise of night. In most Hollywood chillers of this nature, you see night being the time when our heroes confront their fears or moral dilemmas - not here, the light brings out the inner-soul of our character and gives us a choice whether to like him or not. The general consensus behind Engström is that he is a bad character struggling with the truth, but I didn't see that. Notice the character that Engström most connects with in this film - Vik's killer. Both claim to be innocent victims of accidents, but while they search each other out, they have trouble leaving each other's side. You didn't see this connection as much in the remake, mainly because mainstream Hollywood always has to have a defined "bad guy". Skjoldbjærg gave us a soul to the unknown.
Norway is a beautiful country filled with simple people constantly dealing with deadly issues that we take as normal day-to-day living. I loved that big city police officers were brought in to handle a murder case that obviously could not be handled by the simpleton local officers ... yet, in the end; Skjoldbjærg poses yet another question to us about who really was more knowledgeable about the case at hand. There is a constant struggle going on during this film that makes us, the viewer, question the entire motive at hand. We want Engström to find the girl's killer, but also we want him to come clean about himself - a question we ask every heroine in a film struggling to come clean and overcome obstacles. Yet, with Insomnia, we know nothing about Engström to even ask this question. It comes nearly as a half-hearted request because I am under the impression that he was not innocent to begin with. Skarsgård plays this man with suspicion and question because we are given no diagram of how this man arrived to this one location. We hear whispers in the non-existent shadows, but nothing that fully develops his past. He plays with our perception of "good cop/bad cop" like in no other movie. There are scenes that make us cheer for him, while others (like the stint with the hotel receptionist) that make us cover our eyes and quiver our lips. Like no other, Skarsgård develops, matriculates, and dedicates his time to this character, ensuring that every bold step that he makes is done for a reason. A complete reversal from what we saw him doing in Breaking the Waves or Good Will Hunting, here we see him complex and dedicated to the character at hand, continually proving that Skarsgård is a force in the Hollywood community (i.e. see the final scene and those non-replaceable eyes).
Insomnia is a film that stands directly on its own two feet without shake or instability. While it is not quite at the level of utmost perfection (even though there are quite a bit of perfect elements) due to some slower key elements, the awkward pacing of the grand finale, and the jumbled themes of lies and deceit (especially between Engström and the actual killer) - it is still a very grandiose film. It keeps your attention, it brings about the ideas that demons do not just reside in the dark corners of your mind, but in fact in your everyday lives. I think the best moments of this film occur when Engström fights with his partner after the accident in the lighted bedroom of the hotel. I enjoyed this the most because it gave us a rare opportunity to see a different character than what was originally presented to us. It violently gave us a slice of the good during times when we didn't think it was humanly possible. This may sound strange, but I also enjoyed the Norwegian accents (albeit a Norwegian film) because they added this sense of absurdity to it all. It took us to another place; where the oddity of forever sunlight was drown out by the sounds coming out of our characters mouths. I am not complaining or thinking this to be strange, I just thought that it added to the overall tone of the film, giving us a chance to step away from mainstream Hollywood.
Overall, I would highly suggest this film to those friends and family that had not seen the Nolan remake first. I am a believer that if you see the remake first, you will not like this film at all. The two are not the same, and to compare the two (in the big picture) would be heresy. I loved the acting, I loved the location, and I thought the plot was detailed, yet simple, symbolic yet original all at the same time. This wasn't a story convoluted by deep sub-plots and overblown romances, this was a stiff drink on a cold day. It was the perfect balance between good and evil caught in a place where you cannot hide in the shadows. I thought it was another great addition to the Criterion library, as well as a must see for technique, storytelling, and character motivation teachers of all ages. See this film!
Grade: **** out of *****
4 of 4 found this review helpful:
Darker and More Intelligent Version, 2006-08-02
Within the first thirty seconds of watching Insomnia you get the impression that it is one of those Criterion releases which is worth the higher DVD price. Opening with a grainy montage reminiscent of Seven, Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjaerg's impressive directorial debut is a darker and more intelligent film that the later remake starring Al Pacino of which Americans are familiar.
The original Insomnia stars Stellan Skarsgard as Jonas Engstrom, a disgraced but talented Swedish detective. After being caught in an "intimate conversation" with a witness, he seeks a transfer to Norway as a means to escape the scandal threatening his career. Along with his partner, he is sent to investigate the murder of a 17-year-old girl in Tromso, a small Norwegian town above the arctic circle.
One of the greatest distinctions between the two film versions is the depiction of the central character. The original film isn't scared to show us a darker side of the detective. Unlike the later toned down depiction, he's far less likeable, and at times cruel and self-serving. Ultimately, this dark anti-hero proves to be a more convincing vessel for the film's theme of disintegration.
Engstrom is suffering from a severe bout of insomnia, caused by the unrelenting 24 hour sunshine in Tromso. The film's near monotone visuals reflect his distorted perspectives as sleep deprivation takes its toll. After accidentally shooting his partner, he panics, making a series of disturbing decisions calculated to deflect suspicion from himself. He hopes to blame his partner's death on the killer they were pursuing when the accident occurred.
Unfortunately, the killer has witnessed the shooting and knows the truth. Using this information to his advantage, he forces Engstrom to embark on a sinister game of cat and mouse. As Engstrom is drawn further into a web of deception, he begins to morally decay before our eyes. Tortured by his inability to sleep and guilty conscience, each moral compromise Engstrom makes further blurs the line between the himself and the murderer he is hunting.
Insomnia's strength lies in Skarsgard's low key portrayal of the detective. He was in his mid forties when he played Engstrom, yet looks much younger. His attractive, quiet demeanor masks his inner turmoil perfectly.
Not surprisingly, it was Skarsgard's powerful back-to-back performances in Lars Von Trier's Breaking the Waves and Skjoldbjaerg's Insomnia that opened the doors to a series of roles in Hollywood films. While once virtually unknown outside Scandinavia, he has since become an Internationally acclaimed actor.
The Criterion release boasts a beautiful 16x9 anamorphic transfer with good sound quality. Its lack of commentary is disappointing but it still remains a must have DVD to those that appreciate European film noir.
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