![Insomnia [1998] [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510T2M4MACL.jpg)
Product Description Grittily downbeat Scandinavian thrillers have recently become a literary, television and cinematic phenomenon. The novelist Stieg Larsson gets much of the credit, but so too should Erik Skjoldbjærg s debut feature, which made enough of a splash in 1997 to earn itself a Hollywood remake starring Al Pacino - but, as so often, it s the original that s the best. In Tromsø, in the far north of Norway, a teenage girl is murdered by an unusually meticulous killer, and the local police decide they need expert assistance - but criminal investigator Engström (Stellan Skarsgård) quickly finds that his Swedish accent and unfamiliarity with the territory mark him as an awkward outsider. When a colleague accidentally dies during a shootout in thick fog, Engström uses this as an excuse to start tampering with evidence, a slippery slope whose psychological downside is intensified by the oppressive 24-hour daylight playing havoc with his sleep... Review …a chilly, cerebral…downbeat thriller --Empire
J**9
good early example for non Scandic folk
if you enjoy Nordic 'crime;' thos is ''fun''(albeit a little dated since The Bridge/Headhunter etc ) -but unless you have tried living and working through the Summer in far North it's probably a little hard to really appreciate how disorienting the constant light can be one one's bio-rythms - and the sudden waking-up and not knowing if it's ten past two in the middle of the day ...or in the middle of the 'night' really plays havoc with one's ''body clock'' and sense of solidity in the world.
J**Y
Loved this version
Loved this version! Having seen the one with Al Pacino and having missed this one somehow, I was looking for ages for a copy. Definitely not disappointed! Of course, there are some people who won't like some of the scenes in it as they may make for uncomfortable viewing, but to those people I say, 'Get over it!'. This version is much better than the more 'PC', sanitised version made later.
P**R
Gloomy Norwegians
This is the Norwegian/ Swedish original film, later remade in the US and starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams. This original stars an equally good actor, Stellan Skarsgard. Although I usually don't like remakes as originals are often hard to match let alone beat, in this case the remake set in Alaska is far superior in pace and overall acting. This Scandinavian original consists of gloomy folk getting steadily gloomier. Most action is at the end and, here too, the US film has a better denouement. Can't really recommend this film.
S**O
Stellan not Pacino
Stellan Skarsgard dominates this picture with it's amazing visuals and intimate storytelling.
M**S
Very good film. Would advise you watch it as a ...
Very good film. Would advise you watch it as a double-bill with Christopher Nolan's film of the same name.The acting in this feels more realistic to the narrative than the remake.
C**I
a Goody
Better than it sounds
W**D
Superb film
This is the original Insomnia film which I found much better than the original (which I saw first in fact). Stellan Skarsgard is absolutely brilliant as the insomniac cop. Well recommended.
M**M
Five Stars
I would definitely rate this better than the version with Al Pacino
Trustpilot
2 months ago
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