"Riget II" (1997) TV mini-series

Directors:

Morten Arnfred
Lars von Trier

Writers:

Niels Vørsel (writer)
Lars von Trier (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

1 November 1997 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

It starts with the birth of "Little Brother", the son of diabolical murderer Aage Kroeger and the nurse Judith...

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Dishwasher | Poison | Doctor | Evil

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Ernst-Hugo Järegård	...	Stig Helmer (4 episodes, 1997)
Peter Mygind	...	Mogge (4 episodes, 1997)
Kirsten Rolffes	...	Sigrid Drusse (4 episodes, 1997)
Holger Juul Hansen	...	Dr. Moesgaard (4 episodes, 1997)
Søren Pilmark	...	Krogshøj (4 episodes, 1997)
Ghita Nørby	...	Rigmor Mortensen (4 episodes, 1997)
Jens Okking	...	Bulder (4 episodes, 1997)
Ole Boisen	...	Christian (4 episodes, 1997)
Erik Wedersøe	...	Ole (4 episodes, 1997)
Baard Owe	...	Prof. Palle Bondo (4 episodes, 1997)
Birgitte Raaberg	...	Judith Bang Petersen (4 episodes, 1997)
Henning Jensen	...	Bob (4 episodes, 1997)
Laura Christensen	...	Mona (4 episodes, 1997)
Ulrik Cold	...	Narrator (4 episodes, 1997)
Peter Gilsfort	...	Dishwasher 2 (4 episodes, 1997)
John Hahn-Petersen	...	Nivesen (4 episodes, 1997)
Paul Hüttel	...	Dr. Steenbaek (4 episodes, 1997)
Vita Jensen	...	Dish washer 1 (4 episodes, 1997)
Ruth Junker	...	Dishwasher 1 (4 episodes, 1997)
Udo Kier	...	Aage Krüger / ... (4 episodes, 1997)
Morten Rotne Leffers	...	Dish Washer 2 (4 episodes, 1997)
Birthe Neumann	...	Mrs. Svendsen (3 episodes, 1997)
Otto Brandenburg	...	Hansen (3 episodes, 1997)
Louise Fribo	...	Susanne Jeppesen -- Sanne (3 episodes, 1997)
Claus Nissen	...	Madsen (3 episodes, 1997)
Holger Perfort	...	Professor Ulrich (3 episodes, 1997)
Lise Schrøder	...	Nurse 2 (3 episodes, 1997)
Tomas Stender	...	Student (3 episodes, 1997)
Lars von Trier	...	Himself (3 episodes, 1997)
Julie Wieth	...	Pediatric Nurse (3 episodes, 1997)
Thomas Bo Larsen	...	Falken (2 episodes, 1997)
Michelle Bjørn-Andersen	...	Pediatrician (2 episodes, 1997)
Claus Flygare	...	Detective Nielsen (2 episodes, 1997)
Solbjørg Højfeldt	...	Camilla (2 episodes, 1997)
Kim Jansson	...	Detective Jensen (2 episodes, 1997)
Søren Elung Jensen	...	Man in Top Hat (2 episodes, 1997)
Annette Ketscher	...	Nurse -- Casualty (2 episodes, 1997)
Tine Miehe-Renard	...	Night Nurse (2 episodes, 1997)
Dorit Stender Petersen	...	Assisting nurse (2 episodes, 1997)
Mette Munk Plum	...	Mona's Mother (2 episodes, 1997)
Steen Svare	...	Man in Overalls (2 episodes, 1997)
Klaus Wegener	...	Doctor -- Casualty (2 episodes, 1997)

Also Known As:

The Kingdom II (France) (theatrical title) (USA)
Geister II (Germany)
Hospital der Geister - Teil 2 (Germany) (video title)
L'hôpital et ses fantômes (France)
Lars von Triers Riget II (Denmark) (DVD box title)
Riket 2 (Norway)

Runtime:

286 min

Country:

Sweden | Italy | France | Norway | Germany | Denmark

Language:

Danish | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:16 | Iceland:14 | Australia:R (DVD rating) | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Company:

Danmarks Radio (DR)

Trivia:

Reportedly, a third installment of the series was prepared but scrapped as several of the leading actors either passed away or retired within a relatively short period of time.

Quotes:

Stig Helmer: No more Mr. Nice Guy!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bagom Riget II og Lars von Trier: Instruktøren holder fridag (1997) (TV)

A must-see for anyone who enjoyed the first

Wow... 5 more hours of Riget. Lars continues the great combination of occult, dark horror and soap-opera drama. Picking up exactly where the last episode of the previous series left off(complete with the same high intensity and suspense, though that doesn't last; for better or worse), this installation in the franchise seems somewhat more bent on haste... in the last series, there seemed to pass a day or a week between each episode, whereas in this, it clearly is one long stretch... where one episode ends, the next begins. A lot can be said about Lars von Trier... but he is very diverse and pretty eccentric. Both qualities show in this. The plot continues its excellence, now giving a few regular characters that were minor players in the previous four episodes more attention. Basically every character from the first returns, at least as far as the main roles go. The pacing isn't as sharp as in the first part, and I found myself less gripped by this one. That is not in any kind of way to say that this didn't involve me, though... I still found myself constantly watching, and at several points reacting strongly, often out loud, to what was going on(extremely unusual behavior for me, as I am an incredibly silent person), as I also was during the first. Like the first, this also brings up some loaded ethical questions. Building on the foundation from the first, this brings the story further... and being a sequel, the scope is also bigger. Grander. More spirits, more bizarre occurrences, more subplots. The strong graphic material of the first also returns, and it's been kicked up a notch. The characters are developed further. The acting is amazing, as that of the first. Udo Kier solidifies his immense talent, to anyone who doubted it. Playing a very difficult character(anyone who has seen the first series can most likely figure out what I mean) *and* acting in a language he didn't speak(he was later dubbed)... and still handing in such a strong performance. The cinematography remains great, and is still very hand-held, with rapid zooms and the occasional long take. The editing is sharp, with a few direct cuts in sound(though these were more prominent in the first). Now, with all that said, I would really like to be able to rate this a perfect 10... or at least just under, like the first four episodes. I truly enjoyed watching, and I don't regret it in the least. But this does have shortcomings... the ones the first part had and more. As the first, the humor just takes up too much space... and this time around, it's even worse. There are several new regular characters that are there for no other reason than to provide comic relief... three of them, no less. Scenes are set up and executed for no other reason than to make the audience laugh. Fine for a comedy, but what is it doing in such a dark and unpleasant, yes, nothing short of sadistic at times, horror piece? Helmer's solitary secret hiding place of solitude is changed from the hospital roof... from which he could see his beloved Sweden... to a bathroom. With an angle from inside the bowl. No, you read that right. In general, the humor seems more low-brow... more sex and bodily function jokes, which, again, begs the question "Why?". Whilst most of the writing is excellent, some of it is downright dire. Several scenes are basically copied from the first mini-series(one would guess due to their popularity when it aired). At times, the drama seems a bit more bombastic than that of the first, and it jumps too much at times. Fortunately seldom, but still noticeably, plot points and items are explained away too easily(a certain character living in Denmark for no apparent reason, for example... anyone who's seen it knows who I'm speaking of). The two dishwashers, while still mysterious and insightful, become too much of a gimmick... too overexposed, in the end, I guess. Most of the scenes with them are still enjoyable, though. In addition to that, I want to reassure any reader of this that in spite of all the negative things I have just written that this is still mostly good... definitely enjoyable, compelling, powerful... and in my humble opinion, it should definitely be seen by anyone who liked the first(though if belong in that group; do not expect to feel that the story is finished after watching this any more than you did after the first). I recommend this to any fan of Lars von Trier and anyone who enjoyed the first Riget and wants more where that came from. I urge anyone who's even considering watching this to make sure you've seen all of the first before you do... I bought this before I bought the first, but I held out on watching until I had bought the first and watched that, and I can't tell you how glad I am that I did. Though this features a brief summary of the events in the first, there are an immense amount of details and aspects that you would miss out on if you didn't see it before watching this. Slightly lesser sequel, but definitely still one to watch if you liked the first. 8/10