Besat (1999)

Director:

Anders Rønnow Klarlund

Writers:

Anders Rønnow Klarlund (writer)
Ola Saltin (writer)

Release Date:

26 March 1999 (Norway)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Horror | Drama | Thriller

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Female Frontal Nudity | Doctor | Autopsy | Nude Woman Murdered

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Ole Lemmeke	...	Søren
Kirsti Eline Torhaug	...	Sarah
Ole Ernst	...	Bentzon
Niels Anders Thorn	...	Jensen
Jesper Langberg	...	Lyndfelt
Valentin Popescu	...	Drengens Far
Claudiu Istodor	...	Dr. Angelson
Bjarne Henriksen	...	Astronomen
Malene Christian	...	Lotte
Preben Friis	...	Tom
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Morten
Claus Flygare	...	Læge
Claus Strandberg	...	Iversen
Iben Hjejle	...	Berit
Michelle Bjørn-Andersen	...	Merete

Also Known As:

Possessed (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

Denmark | Romania

Language:

Danish | English | Romanian | Swedish

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

France:U | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Company:

Danmarks Radio (DR)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Amando de Ossorio: el último templario (2001) (V)

Old wine on new, shiny bottles

With a plot that seems to have been heavily inspired by productions such as Warlock (1989), Outbreak (1995) and "Riget" (1994), this movie uses the Danish medical community as exemplified by the National Hospital to build an instant atmosphere of impending doom.

Unlike "Riget", which featured a plot that ended up in a Twin Peaks-like parody of surrealism, the focus in this movie is not on the medical community itself, but on the investigation by a young doctor of the mystical spread of a strange new virus.

In parallel with this activity we have the police pursuing a man suspected of arson (impressingly performed by Udo Kier).

The two threads end up colliding in a way that will not be revealed here.

The movie contains some interesting scenes from Romania, where the young doctor tries to collect a marrow sample to analyse the virus. These scenes are quite important in building the atmosphere so important for a thriller, and they are executed nicely.

Basically, all horror movies reiterate the same old message of "how terrible it is, when you're powerless." The interesting new part is usually the way in which ingredients are mixed, conveying a story full of scares, to which the contemporary viewer can relate.

"Besat" is no exception from this rule: As a true child of it's time, the dominant themes used in this movie are the threat of a global epidemic, cultic prophecies of apocalypse, the horrible living conditions of the poor in Eastern Europe, and how a man's single-minded pursuit of his career can turn him into a monster.

All in all some good, well-executed entertainment, but don't expect to find anything new here.