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DVD Brief: Insomnia

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Insomnia
Insomnia

Home Vision/The Criterion Collection
1997
NR
97 minutes
Widescreen 1.85:1
Enhanced for 16 x 9
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Interactive menus
Subtitles: English
Languages: Swedish, Norwegian
Extras: Norwegian trailer and TV spot
Suggested retail price: $29.95
Director:Erik Skjoldbjaerg
Writer: Nikolaj Frobenius
Cast:Stellan Skarsgard, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Bjorn Floberg, Gisken Armand, Maria Bonnevie

Description: Brooding, absorbing police psychological thriller about a brilliant but arrogant detective sent to remote Northern Norway to solve the murder of a young woman. While on the suspect's trail, he accidentally kills his partner and friend, and tries to cover-up the accident by blaming it on the murderer. Haunted by what he has done and by his seeming inability to differentiate between right and wrong, plagued by the bright light of Norway's Midnight Sun, and hounded by the scrutiny of a suspicious female detective, he begins to suffer insomnia. Soon he begins to lose grip on both the crime and his mind, falling deeper and deeper in a torturous world of pain and guilt. Only be identifying with the murderer can he even attempt to absolve himself. More a psychological study than a routine murder mystery, "Insomnia" uses quirky camera angles, editing and music to probe into the one man's psyche on his road to destruction. A superb film by first-time director Skjoldbjaerg.

Image:The blue-white light of the Midnight Sun and the stark clinical interiors highlight the look and feel of the film. As with most Criterion transfers, this is prime viewing material.

Sound:Splendid track of electronic music by Geir Jennsen.


All DVDs are screened on a reference Onkyo DV- S717 third-generation DVD player.



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