Todesschlaf

I found this film to be exceptionally entertaining. The other reviewer may have found the cinematography/appearance of this film cheap but I found it to be very hipotic. Perhaps people native to the country of the films setting have seen better depictions of their environment, but I think american audiences will enjoy the images. Stellan Skarsgard makes this film worth seeing on his own.

I enjoyed this movie. I thought the portrayal of a not-so-honest cop by Stellan Skarsgård to be effective and evocative. The setting were stark and often decaying somewhat like the personalities of the main characters. I haven't seen the Hollywood version so I can't compare the two. This version is worthwhile.

Erik Skjoldbjaerg's 1997 film 'Insomnia' starring Stellan Skarsgard is a fine example of the rich films being offered by the foreign film market. Skarsgard plays Jonas Engstrom, a disgraced detective who, with his partner, travels to Norway to help a small town solve the murder of a 17-year-old girl. Due to the atmospheric conditions (there is 24 hour sunshine) and recent events, Engstrom is suffering from a severe bout of insomnia, which is causing problems with his work and psyche.

Not having seen Christopher Nolan's remake, I didn't know what to expect from the story, so I was pleasantly surprised by the unconventional progression of the storyline and the various twists within the script. I have only seen Skarsgard in a couple of films, but he is always fantastic, as he is in this film as well. There are few actors who can keep a straight face, yet still manage to convey complex emotion, and Skarsgard is one of them. He walked through his scenes with a somberness that is reminiscent of most M. Knight Shymalan heroes; powerful, yet weary. Skjoldbjaergs's direction is absolutely beautiful. The colors are quite sharp, and most scenes are expertly framed – most would make gorgeous still frames.

I plan to see the remake of 'Insomnia' eventually, but whether you have seen it or not, I would recommend catching the film that inspired it. 7/10.

--Shelly

Although I wasn't totally disappointed with the American version, I didn't exactly biase towards it too. The moment I learned there is an original, I wanted to see it and I expected great things from it. Well, I guess my expectations were a little too high...

The original is better, just not in the league I thought it would be. The plot is familiar, although many things seem to be very different in both versions, starting with the fact that this version is more "natural", as expected in an European film. The pacing is slow, there is little action although there is some tension and "agitation". The roles are generally well portrayed by the actors.

Usually, when a director wants to set a dark mood, he or she relies on shadows and gloom in the camera frame. Here the exact opposite has been achieved through the perpetual midnight sun which throws the descent of Jonas Engstrom into madness all too clearly. At first the effect is subtle, but as the picture continues and there is never any nightfall one begins to feel the same bone-deep weariness and lethargy experienced by the protagonist. I watched it for the first time late at night and it completely threw me off my sleep cycle for the night. Most powerful.

I speak neither Swedish nor Norwegian, but I didn't find the subtitles a hindrance at all--indeed, I much prefer subtitles to dubbing every time. I found that I had to work harder to notice everything that was happening on screen, which was a welcome change from the constant "eye candy" that seems to be the norm coming out of the movie business these days. All of the performances were understated yet brilliant, especially, of course, that of Stellan Skarsgard. I was particularly intrigued by the opening title sequence, showing the murder through the eyes of the murderer in a disjointed and confused sped-up manner, and this point of view is a foreshadowing of how both Engstrom and the viewer will feel by the end of the picture.

I have not seen the remake yet, and I'm not sure that I want to do so. The Hollywood movie business never seems to know when to leave well enough alone. I'll be able to make a better recommendation when or if I get around to the remake.