Skyggen af Emma (1988)

Director:

Søren Kragh-Jacobsen

Writers:

Rumle Hammerich (writer)
Jörn O. Jensen (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

5 February 1988 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Emma (Line Kruse) is an eleven year-old only child from a wealthy Danish family. Emma's parents seem...

Plot Keywords:

Kidnapping | Ransom | Lindbergh Kidnapping | Maturity | Mobbing

Awards:

8 wins

Cast

Line Kruse	...	Emma Zülow
Börje Ahlstedt	...	Malthe Eliasson
Erik Wedersøe	...	Policeman
Søren Østergaard	...	Policeman
Bent N. Steinert	...	Gustav
Ken Vedsegaard	...	Albert
Henrik Larsen	...	Merchant Zülow, Emma's Father
Inge Sofie Skovbo	...	Emma's Mother
Ulla Henningsen	...	Ruth
Jesper Christensen	...	Poul, Zülow's chauffeur
Sanne Grangaard	...	Rosa
Pernille Hansen	...	Lise
Otto Brandenburg	...	Tage Vilse
Lene Vedsegård	...	Dorthe
Hardy Rafn	...	Police inspector
Jeanne Boel	...	Line
Flemming Jensen	...	Police technician
Arne Hansen	...	Rydtkov
William Kisum	...	Piccoli
John Martinus	...	Ragner
Holger Boland	...	Orgelmand
Paul Hüttel	...	Hotel doorman
Helen Svanholm
Torben Jensen
Dorthe Gersbye
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Soren Skjar	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Irene Vasegard	...	Bit part (uncredited)

Directed by
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kirsten Bonnén Rask		writer
Rumle Hammerich		writer
Jörn O. Jensen		writer
Hans Kragh-Jacobsen		writer
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen		writer
Flemming Quist Møller		writer
Åke Sandgren		writer

Produced by
Hedda Craner	....	associate producer
Bent Fabricius-Bjerre	....	executive producer
Tivi Magnusson	....	producer
Frederikke Reichhardt	....	assistant producer
Søren Schou	....	associate producer
Ib Tardini	....	line producer

Original Music by
Thomas Lindahl

Cinematography by
Dan Laustsen

Film Editing by
Leif Axel Kjeldsen

Art Direction by
Lars Nielsen

Costume Design by
Jette Termann

Makeup Department
Birte Christensen	....	key makeup artist
Birthe Lyngsøe	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jens Arnoldus	....	production manager
Ib Tardini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Flinth	....	second assistant director
Birger Larsen	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael Bodenhoff	....	carpenter (as Mik Bodenhoff)
Jens Brunk	....	art department crew
René Clausen	....	props
Mogens Craner	....	carpenter (as Ek Mogens Craner)
Anders Engelbrecht	....	property master
Søren Gam	....	props (as Søren Gam Henriksen)
Leo Jørgart	....	carpenter
Axel Krogsbøll	....	property master
Torben Skalleræk	....	carpenter
Nikolaj Thide	....	props
René Zanger	....	props

Sound Department
Mikkel Bo	....	sound
Morten Degnbol	....	sound
Pauline Griffiths	....	sound
Lars Lund	....	boom operator
Per Meinertsen	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Per Danbo	....	lighting technician
Eigil Jacobsen	....	first assistant camera
Henrik Jongdahl	....	grip
Ole Kragh-Jacobsen	....	still photographer
Gert Larsen	....	electrician (as Gert A. Larsen)
Jacob Marlow	....	lighting technician
Thomas Neivelt	....	lighting technician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ghita Ohmann	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Karen Margrethe Nielsen	....	assistant editor
Michael Frank Nielsen	....	color timer

Other crew
Annemarie Aaes	....	script supervisor
Peter Flinth	....	trailer
Lis Lund	....	public relations
Ida Zeruneith	....	production consultant

Production Companies

• Det Danske Filminstitut
• Metronome Productions

Distributors

• Claire Films (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• A.B. Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Angelika Films (1989) (USA) (subtitled)
• Supervideo (1990) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Johan Ankerstjerne A/S  laboratory services

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Brazil:93 min | Argentina:99 min | USA:93 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:11 | Argentina:Atp | Germany:6 | USA:Not Rated | France:U | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6

Company:

Det Danske Filminstitut

Trivia:

Awards: Young Audience Special Award (Cannes International Film Festival, 1988)./ Best Film Award (Laon Film Festival, France, 1989).

A beautiful and deeply moving story

I was surprised to find that this precious gem of a movie was sitting here in a dark corner of the IMDb without even one comment. Perhaps it's the Danish title, "Skyggen af Emma"; I guess it doesn't particularly lend itself to casual surfing. The English translation, "Emma's Shadow", will get you there if you know what you're looking for. And the movie truly is a precious gem. Sure, you have to put up with subtitles, but they don't really get in the way of understanding what the movie is all about. The essence of the movie is to be found in the evolving loving relationship between eleven year old Emma, a bright, complex, but neglected child of affluent self-absorbed parents, and the simple Malthe, an ex-convict who works in the city sewers. The profound feelings that develop in each for the other doesn't require dialog. Their faces and eyes and body language speak those feelings far better than any author's words could. In fact, the final scene is carried through without one word spoken - and becomes as deeply moving a scene as you're ever see in any motion picture. Actually, there are several scenes of powerful emotional impact along the way as true love sets in solidly between the two. I don't think I'm giving away anything when I say that the capstone of their relationship is in the beautifully understated hotel room sequence near the end of the picture. That and the final scene I already mentioned will bring a tear to any but the coldest of hearts. It must be noted that Line Kruse, as Emma, and the veteran actor Borje Ahstedt, as Malthe, put in masterful performances. It appears that the picture is out of print at the present time. That's a shame. The world needs more such movies. Real beauty is becoming harder to find in present day literature. However, it should still be available in some rental stores. It's worth going out of your way to see before it sadly disappears entirely.