Engström makes a quick and possibly career-ending decision that drives the rest of the film. Things happen so fast – and mostly from Engström’s point of view – that we’re not sure of the exact sequence of events, but we (and Engström) realize something truly awful has occurred. A disorienting chase scene follows, one that’s brilliantly shot and masterfully edited. The key scene in the film occurs when Engström attempts to force the killer into the open during an extremely foggy morning in a rock-strewn area. Engström’s reputation as a top-notch detective precedes him, so most of the local police unquestioningly heed his every word, but a policewoman named Ane (Maria Bonnevie) seems able to look right through him, sensing that something’s amiss. He’s got a troubled past he’s trying to deal with and hide from. Engström has a tough time dealing with the never-ending light, but that’s not the real reason he can’t get any sleep. Tromsø (Skjoldbjærg’s hometown) is located about 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, so during its late spring and summer months, night doesn’t fall. A Swedish detective named Jonas Engström is brought in to lead the investigation, and the second half of the film’s focus is on him. On one side – roughly the first half of the film – we have a murder mystery: a teenage girl has been found murdered in Tromsø, a town in northern Norway.
As far as I can tell, none of Skjoldbjærg’s subsequent films have had the influence or impact of Insomnia.
It certainly doesn’t have the look or feel of a first-time director, although Skjoldbjærg had completed shorter films previous to Insomnia (two of which are included on the Criterion release). Watching Insomnia, you have to keep reminding yourself that this was Erik Skjoldbjærg’s feature film debut.
0 kommentar(er)
