Le cercle Orion

(This review is for the Norwegian version of the film.)

This bold thriller made in 1985 surpassed every expectation I had for it, and the great cinematography by Harald Gunnar Paalgard had a big part in that. If your movie takes place in Svalbard, an all around beautiful place, the movie should look damn good, and Orions belte establishes that from the first minute and keeps it going, throughout scenes taking place in and out of Svalbard.

The actors are really good, the characters are a bit cliché but this didn't bother me at all since the movie is very intense once it starts to get going.

And for someone who doesn't have a lot of knowledge about Cold War-era Norway, the dialogue regarding Cold War was very informative, but the constant exposition throughout the first half hour could bore a viewer who knows Norway's history well.

The script doesn't shy away from the 'cold' realism as well, and the movie manages to subvert expectations because of it. Of course, if you can't empathize with the main characters, you can start guessing what happens next but if you are hooked, you'll be surprised in every way.

Action scenes in Orions belte are very well directed as well, much better than its Hollywood counterparts.

This movie is a must-watch if you can handle the slow first half hour and some cliché character traits.

This film I saw when I was very young about 12 and it scared me. Now 9 years later it still scares me as a thriller. It is unlike normal Norwegian films. This is probably the best Norwegian movie of all time. I think it portrays the Norwegian-Russian (Soviet) relationship during the Cold war in a very believable way. And other aspects of the film make us go along with it.

Good Stuff!!

I don't believe in a decent Norwegian action/thriller until I see one. Well, now I have! In fact it's more then decent, it's great! It's the Cold War. It's Svaldbard, Norway. Provides a strategic location caught between the US and Soviet. Codenamed: Orions Belt. When three sailors seek refuge from a storm they stumble over a secret Sovjet military installation. As a result they get the Sovjets on their backs trying to "shut them up" (you, know... kill them).

As I said this movie is simply great. It proves what I believe, that Norwegians can make good movies with a bigger plot then a trip to the store. The plot is Hollywood-style action with one man running to save his butt. However, there is the lack of literally over-kill on the special effects. It's more down to earth and more realistic witch makes it more believable (and more Norwegian). Russians actually speaks Russian and not English or Norwegian with a bad accent and the Norwegians actually informs their allies. You never see that in Hollywood. It's these details witch makes this a movie good.

The acting is good and the mood is tense. Just as you want it. Helge Jordal does a good job in the lead as Tom. With a lot of stage actors you get a kind of unnatural dialog and you may find that kind of disturbing, but just give it a shot. It gets better throughout the movie. The cinematography is good. Some shots could have been better, but it's nothing disturbing. The score, however, is probably the worst thing about this movie. It's not that bad, rally, but it sounds kind of cheep and 80's. Don't get me wrong, it does a good job in bringing suspense and feeling to the movie, so the soundtrack in it self is good, I just think the choice of instrument is wrong.

This is not just a movie for Norwegian. In fact it's a movie for everyone else. It gives a little insight into the role Norway played during the Cold War. It even has it's own little X-Files style conspiracy. The government knows, but denies. One man want's to expose the truth. It even has it's own cigarette-smoking man.

The first 15 minutes may seem a bit dull, but from there on the time flies. Orions Belte is a movie I truly can recommend.

I just watched this movie again for the first time since when it was made, 28 years ago. It's a pretty powerful movie experience in it's genre. In fact, it's one of the best movies I've watched in a long time - a lucky rediscovery.

A compelling story about a ragged freight boat crew, who get tangled up in something sinister. Its cold war era story is properly gritty and believable, there's nothing artificial or glorified about it. It's exciting, and it also has a quite sad side.

The acting is good. The locations are beautiful. The music is unsettling at times. If you're a movie lover and have missed this one, it's time to sit down and discover a hidden gem.

(This review is for the Norwegian version - I've not seen the English version)

Orions Belte is an exciting thriller from the cold-war period. The actors are good, and the plot is great. The locations is also very important in this movie, and that is something which really creates a realistic atmosphere for the film. Great Norwegian movie (one of the few) from the 80's.