Insomnia (1997)

In a Norwegian city with a 24-hour daylight cycle a Swedish murder investigator has been brought in on a special case. Sleep deprived, he makes a horrible mistake which is discovered by the killer he has been hunting.

Director:

Erik Skjoldbjærg

Writers:

Nikolaj Frobenius (screenplay), Erik Skjoldbjærg (screenplay)

Stars:

Maria Mathiesen, Stellan Skarsgård, Sverre Anker Ousdal

Cast

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

Storyline

In a Norwegian city with a 24-hour daylight cycle, a Swedish murder investigator is brought in to find an elusive killer. But when the officer accidentally kills his own partner and covers it up, a double sided game of cat-and-mouse ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | police | fog | norway | death | 

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Taglines:

Den som synder, sover ikke.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Insomnia homepage

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian Swedish

Release Date:

29 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fonos stin omihli

Filming Locations:

Nyksund, Norway

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$20,366 (USA) (29 May 1998)

Gross:

$221,173 (USA) (11 December 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Norsk Film, Nordic Screen Production AS, Norsk Filminstitutt

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

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.

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Connections

Remade as Insomnia (2002)

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Soundtracks

"No peace for the wicked"
by Insomnia

User Reviews

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.