MovieChat Forums > Insomnia (1998) Discussion > sleep depravation + flimsy plot (spoiler...

sleep depravation + flimsy plot (spoilers)

posted 18 years ago by ilikesocialdistortion
9 replies | jump to latest

I thought that the WHOLE idea of him having insomnia was kidna cool, but it doesn't affect ANYTHING in the movie. well the ONLY thing it changed is that during the last half of the movie he had to look tired...big deal..didn't confune him to make him shoot his partner or anything remotley like that. and that's the name of the movie.

They could've TOTALLY omitted the insomnia part from the movie and have the EXACT same movie.

oh, and one more thing that is a little sidenote..why did he even hide the fact that he killed his partner? there was IMENSE fog, one of his homies was shot already, and his partnet was running RIGHT AT HIM (regradless of whether or not he MEANT to). NO ONE would've blamed him really anyway, and add up ALL those facts, the plot is really flimsy.

[–] peter81965 18 years ago

he wasn't supposed to be armed. the Cops in Norway are not armed... they actually refer to this in the movie. also that's why it makes such a big deal of him having the gun hidden in his luggage.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] booboochiq 17 years ago

True, they COULD have omitted the entire insomnia thing. But they didn't because it adds more dimensions to the story.

His lack of sleep causes him to hallucinate, as well as making us wonder if his actions are a result of him beginning to lose his grip on his sanity.

I've noticed in American "hollywood" films, things are said in a very blunt way, so that no one is confused. Foreign films seem to have a way of implying things with more subtlety. So no one comes right out and says "Well, he's a bad person, and probably nuts. I hope he doesn't get away with it" which is sort of what my sister said, prompting me to roll my eyes at her.

[–] TermlnatriX 17 years ago

I think that the "Insomnia" bit itself was a variation of two things. Him getting used to the "cycle" - which if you've traveled to another country you'd know how that feels, plus the fact that when he feels "guilty" he can't fall asleep because he is haunted by that.

[–] skyblazeeterno 10 years ago

i didnt think the insomnia added anything really to this film other than "dream sequences" was it real or not type of BS to cheat audiences - I actually though it was handled well in showing the gradual wearing down of the cop BUT it would have made more sense to have the partner shooting after a period of time of this - all I thought was that the cop made a mistake and instead of facing the consequences decides to roll with it and pin the death on some other sucker

[–] mikpii 17 years ago

I think the insomnia was an essential part of the movie. He was suffering from it right from the first night and it could well have been affecting his thinking by the time he shoots his partner and decides to cover it up. Of course he also wanted to guard his reputation and I think he was a bit arrogant. The insomnia makes it more difficult to judge his actions.

[–] mrliteral 16 years ago

He couldn't admit to accidentally killing his partner because it's not in his character; it's his tragic flaw. Remember the story about not telling anyone his brother was dead? He'd rather try to create a false impression of what happened, no matter how unlikely, than admit to a truth that shames him.

Generally I hate the kind of plot point that rests on a character not immediately owning up to something they could easily admit, but this movie treats it differently, and it works. Usually in a movie it's some stupid Three's Company type bullsh!t, where nobody actually did anything wrong but they lie anyway, hilarity ensues, ha ha, not really, because it's stupid. But this works because it's part of his character to be ashamed of the awful truth, and he'll do anything to avoid that truth being revealed.

http://moviesonthemind.blogspot.com/

[–] Mr_McLaurel 15 years ago

Ha! The whole point of the movie is that his guilt and the "midnight sun" is piling up on him and distorting his mind. I don't see how you can say they could "omit the insomnia part." Good movie, better than the also good remake. 9/10.

What's the Spanish for drunken bum?

[–] MukilLi 14 years ago

I think too some extent. He cannot sleep (Insomnia) without solving the puzzle. Not only who killed but why he killed.

May be the reason he didn't admit he mistakenly shot his colleague is because he is the type of a person.... Who has to solve the puzzle? And may be not afraid of getting his lie exposed. Because I don't see a reason why he would go the deserted house in the end. If he didn't wanted to know why Hold killed her?

Or May be I'm reading too much... ha ha.