torkjellnordstrand

Hirata, a japanese businessman, is forced to visit Iceland instead of Hawaii based on family matters.

At several occations I found this film very amusing and charming, especially Hirata and the strange icelandic people that he meets, asking; "How do you like Iceland ?" - As Hirata is tricked into buying a deep-frozen car, he uses this to travel across Iceland. The radio play terrible folk music, but can't be turned off.. And when he picks up two american hitchers Lili Taylor and Fisher Stevens, naturally the music drives them mad.. Hence the exclaim: "It's an icelandic torture chamber"...Great! With Masatoshi Nagase from "Mystery Train" as Hirata, thoughts go to Jim Jarmusch though mostly for the directing of the film.. A great, cold, atmospheric vision, strange and beautiful.

I will remember the face of Orson Welles for ever, as he is about to step out of the police car a bit out in the film; A moment strange and very rare to me... You can feel the booze in his veins and the load on the cane he is supporting himself with, as he asks his questions which he already has figured some answer to... As Hank Quinlan, a crooked police chief who is infamous for his hunch/stomach-feeling when it comes to solving crimes, Orson Welles shows up as a large, angry (or just very set in his ways), brooding figure.

As the camera shows us that he is a grand performer of mystery, we dissolve with him into a strange and dark tale... A must-see for film noir lovers, with Janet Leigh, Charlton Heston, Marlene Dietrich(Wonderful!) and an invitation to the infamous Orson Welles mystery;

Films as The Third Man (By Carol Reed) and of course Citizen Kane, a well known icon in film history.