MovieChat Forums > Insomnia (2002) Discussion > which is better: norwegian vs. alaskan?

which is better: norwegian vs. alaskan?


i thought the original flick was better. they are very similar movies, but i think the pacing was better in the original. they pumped up the ending in the american version of the film, making it a little more exciting. neither version is what i would call a thriller though since both are pretty slow moving (american version being much more glacial than the norwegian)...

here's the original: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0119375

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http://monkeysvsrobots.com

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[deleted]

I liked the original better also. The Alaskan version seems dramatized/overexplained. I think they made Pacino's character more upright (girl in car/shooting live dog).

Even though they are both good, I don't understand why they remade it.

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They remade it because Hollywood ran out of original ideas decades ago... very few people in the US would watch a foreign movie with subtitles... and even if they did, there would be no money in it for the studios...

So, they take a good story from a foreign film, dumb it down for American audiences (except in this case, they may have actually improved the story) and then they hype the hell out of it and sell tickets at $10.00 a pop!

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I'm from the Netherlands and I saw the original movie first. It really impressed me. So yesterday I wanted to see the remake, and holy *beep* it sucked. The storyline was much more cliché, and I couldn't stand the constant changing of camera angles. I stopped watching it after a while.

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if foreigners have such a problem with hollywood
why don't they decide to not watch our movies and stick with there own weak ass
films>
and uh...i dunno if i'm the only one on here that hasn't seen too many dutch movies but i'm pretty sure there not too popular
yep
seriously, french, german and english film industries have waaaaay! more output
bro
maybe it's because nobody other thatn dutch people speak dutch hmmm....

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whoops
i mean norwegian!
that's all...my bad

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Remakes... Am also from Europe [not from the Netherlands:)], have
nothing against them, as long as they're well made;what is 'well',what is 'crap' - everyone has his own opinion. "Insomnia" is an exceptionally interesting movie, whether Norw. of American; with Stellan and Al nothing [or almost nothing:)] can go wrong.
Can't say that "Nikita" by Besson is better than the remake with Bridget Fonda, just different. And "Sommersby" isn't worse than "Le Retour de Martin Guerre"
[The Return of...] with G. Depardieu.
It all depends. And if someone 'apriori' doesn't like remakes, why watching them?

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are you seriously so pro American that your on a site defending American movies against 'foreigners?' telling them
if they don't like it don't watch it? Hollywood is the babylon of the arts and your brainwashed, blind jingoistic patriotism is completely nauseating. "Those damn foreigners and their peculiar movies..."

Give me and the millions all over the globe a break my man. Wow.

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Nice. SHow how ignorant you are by saying the original is Dutch. It's Norwegian. Just like the other previous people said in the board. Jeez.
Well, I for one appreciate the original more. It takes a questionably "moral" man and it shows him descending into immorality. The ending is less clear cut - morally ambiguous - and it makes you think, which American movies don't want to let people engage in.
Skip the remake. It's twatterie.

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Absurd Planet--I don't usually respond to the ramblings of morons.....but Jesus....you're a total idiot. Foreign films are "weak ass"? And what, Hollywood is producing such original films now that they don't need to remake films? Oh wait, they do, and in this case, they did. Take a film class, then start posting your "comments".

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Man, the european, arrogant, self-importance is so thick in here you can cut it with a knife. I like Nolan's film more mainly due to the acting of the leads. And Das Boot is my 3rd favorite film of all-time so please, refrain from spewing european pompousness my way. Or not....

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Original. When I saw the remake in the theater I started laughing at really wrong moments. Terrible acting (I'm only tired when I drive or I mention it so everyone remembers? WTF), horrible pacing, just bad when compared to the original.

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I'm from Norway and have only seen the remake and I liked it a lot. I gotta agree that there are VERY few good norwegian films. I stay away from most non-american films. So far I've seen 1 halfway decent norwegian film. But the tides are about to change. The horror movie "Fritt Vilt" looks really cool and scary as hell.

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hate to burst your bubble, but this movie was filmed about 30 minutes north of vancouver, in canada.

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Filming Locations for
Insomnia (2002/I)
Alaska, USA
(aerial photography)


Hyder, Alaska, USA

Indian Arm, British Columbia, Canada

Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

Stewart, British Columbia, Canada

Valdez, Alaska, USA

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

It does say both Alaska and Canada.....

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Hyder and Stewart are side by side - you can walk right across the border to each little town. Hyder is more or less in Canada, since you can't reach it by road from the rest of Alaska. The majority of the filming was done in Stewart and Squamish.

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[deleted]

I think it is interesting to see American remakes of foreign films. The differences says lot about cultural differences if you ask me.

In the Norwegian movie every one is cold and indifferent to each other, in the American (at least in the beginning) everyone is very nice and friendly.

And then you have the clear moral of the American one. The "happy" ending, with everyone learning a valuable lesson. It is very interesting

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Erik Skjoldbjærg film is just great.. makes me dont want to see the remake...
the atmosphere.. the actors.. everything is perfect..
dont watch the remake... !!!!!
known faces and names wont make a film beter !!! (ok.. meybe for the north americans..)

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Let's say critics rate is 3.5 and Al Pacino version is 3.
Audience rate is higher for Pacino version though:
http://www.movie-remakes.com/film_detail.asp?id=66

Movie remakes compared to original
http://www.movie-remakes.com

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I didn't find the American version glacially paced at all; in fact I found it the more entertaining of the two, although the Norwegian version was excellent. Pacino was riveting as always.

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agree.



A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.

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