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:

Stellan Skarsgård, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Maria Mathiesen

2 nominations.

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:

fog | accidental shooting | hallucination | detective | northern norway | 

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Taglines:

Den som synder, sover ikke. [He who sins, does not sleep.]

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Insomnia homepage

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian Swedish

Release Date:

29 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bezsennosc

Filming Locations:

Nyksund, Norway

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,366, 31 May 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$221,173, 13 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?

Trivia

Engström was originally written as a Norwegian. His nationality was changed to Swedish to reflect Stellan Skarsgård's country of origin.

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Goofs

Early in the film at the autopsy scene, the boom mic can be seen momentarily at the top of the screen.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Out of Sight/Smoke Signals/Doctor Dolittle/Picnic at Hanging Rock/Insomnia (1998)

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Soundtracks

Original Soundtrack by Biosphere
Music Written and Produced by Geir Jenssen
Vocals by Mia Kaarinadotter
Alania mix by Rune Lindbæk, Torbjørn Brundtland, Ole Johan Mjøs
Released by Origo Sound, Norway

User Reviews

Tight as hell

It is hard to believe that this is Erik Skjoldbjaerg's first film. It seems like a pro job to me. Very rarely do you get thrillers crafted this well. Almost everything is perfect. The script is as taut as possible. I saw no holes, anyhow. The plot is believable and you will never see the best twists coming. Even if you are the type who sits there and constantly guesses what's coming next during thrillers, I doubt you could. The film does a lot to avoid plot cliches. And if I'm wrong about that, if I was just blinded by other aspects of the film, it won't really matter. The characters are very well written. Especially the main character, played by Stellan Skarsgard. He is certainly one of the best actors working today and this may just be his greatest performance yet. He owns the film. The cinematography is effective. It's bleak and cold. The camera moves assuredly, and it's always where it should be. The music is perfectly subdued. The direction in general is simply amazing. The mise-en-scene is marvelous. I love the settings of the film, the threatening, rocky terrain, the broken and rusty buildings, everything. This is a must-see film. One of the best films of the 1990s. 10/10.

P.S.: Christopher Nolan, the man who created the equally impressive thriller Memento, is set to direct the American remake of this film. I personally loved Memento (though I think I'd choose Insomnia over it if I had to), and I wish Mr. Nolan all the luck. I'm sure he knows what a challenge it's going to be. And I certainly pray that he isn't satisfied with simply copying the original. He could do so and mostly get away with it - Insomnia is quite underseen. I sincerely hope that he will make it his own. I already recognize one piece of the film that has to change if the setting is moved to the U.S.: Skjoldbjaerg brilliantly uses the midnight sun in this film. I doubt it would be successful if the setting were, say, Alaska. I don't think Americans would buy it. Nolan is going to have to compensate for the loss of the midnight sun.