History Film / Insomnia

* ReturningToTheScene: The detective has specific information leaked to the press about highly incriminating evidence found in connection to the murder of Kay so that the killer will go back to the scene (where he dumped the girl's backpack in the original, and to the cabin where he murdered her in the remake) to remove more evidence. The cops are waiting for him (having already discovered bag/cabin), but they didn't know that there was an underground passageway beneath the cabin which then allows the killer to get away.

* AntiClimax: [[spoiler:The original's finale at first promises to become a tense standoff, with Holt holding Engström at gunpoint. Then Engström disarms Holt, Holt beats the snot out of Engström and then tries to run away, only to fall through the pier's derelict floor and breaking his neck. Naturally, [[TropesAreNotBad this was quite deliberate]].]] Averted in the remake.

* AlasPoorVillain: In the end of the original, [[spoiler: Engström stops to contemplate Holt, who fell through a decayed pier as he tried to run away, breaking his neck and then slipping into the sea, as Holt slowly drowns]].

* UnfriendlyFire: Implied between [[spoiler: Dormer and Eckhardt]] in the sequel, as questions arise as to whether it was truly an accident.
* VillainProtagonist: Heavily downplayed in the sequel, compared to the original. In the original, Engström is far more of a dirty cop, who gets progressively worse as the film goes on. In the remake, Dormer is more of a good cop whose past mistakes are coming back to haunt him in his sleep-deprived state.

* AntiClimax: [[spoiler:The original's finale at first promises to become a tense standoff, with Holt holding Engström at gunpoint. Then Engström disarms Holt, Holt beats the snot out of Engström and then tries to run away, only to fall through the pier's derelict floor and breaking his neck. Naturally, [[ThropesAreNotBad this was quite deliberate]].]] Averted in the remake.

* SlidingScaleofIdealismVsCynicism: The original is situated at the deep dark end, with a protagonist so morally bankrupt who'd be hard-pressed to be even called a 'good guy'. The remake, on the other hand, sits somewhere in the upper half.

* AlasPoorVillain: In the end of the original, [[spoiler: Engström contemplates Holt, who fell through a decayed pier as he tried to run away, breaking his neck and then slipping into the sea, as he slowly drowns]].

* ToBeLawfulOrGood: How the detective initially sees the choices he makes.

* AssholeVictim: Randy in the remake, whom the two men discuss setting up for Kay's murder. He didn't kill her but was certainly abusive. In the original, the boyfriend ''was'' green with envy at his dead girlfriend, but he never became physical.
* BerserkButton: [[spoiler:The killer beat Kay to death because she pushed his. When she came to him for comfort after having a fight with her boyfriend, he came onto her. She laughed at him, and he reacted with violence.]]

* BlackAndGreyMorality: The remake. The killer is a cheerful, ice-cold smiling psychopath, while Dormer is a angst-ridden DirtyCop who genuinely tries to do good in an indifferent world, but is forced to dig himself deeper into an inexcusable pit. The two men's relationship could, at best, be likened to a fish caught helplessly in the fisherman's hook.

* GreyAndGreyMorality: The original, albeit bordering on BlackAndBlackMorality. The killer is something of a labile, choleric pervert, but Engström harbours a terrifyingly ruthless and unhinged personality of his own - even if his judgement is undeniably clouded by his insomnia. In this version, the corruption is much less one-sided, with both men threatening and blackmailing each other.

* LightIsNotGood: Most of the plot twists in the film occur because [[spoiler:Dormer is literally and figuratively unable to step out of the light and/or cover his actions due to the prevalence of daylight.]]

* CulturalTranslation: Seen rather pointedly in the approached of the police force in both films. In the Norwegian original, their hunt for the killer is carried out at a calm and laid-back pace and attitude (example: when he flees into the cabin, the police just ''walk'' after him), since (most of) the policemen don't carry guns, and don't expect the killer to carry one either. In the remake, all police show up reasonably well-armed and never break out of combat formation, since an armed suspect is seen as a succinct possibility.

* DamselInDistress: [[spoiler:Ellie in the remake, when Finch knocks her out and prepares to kill, her forcing Dormer to rescue her from him]].

Skarsgård (Pacino as in the remake) plays a jaded, disgraced big-city police detective (Kripos and LAPD respectively) who is flown in together with his partner to bring the case to a swift end with their wealth of experience with violent crime.

* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:Ellie's view of Dormer in the original.]]

-->-- '''Ellie Burr'''

''Insomnia'' is a PsychologicalThriller film directed by Creator/ChristopherNolan and starring Creator/AlPacino, Creator/RobinWilliams, and Creator/HilarySwank. The American film, released by WarnerBrothers in 2002, is a remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name. The remake was a financial success both in the U.S. and abroad, and it received high praise from critics.

"White Night" (or "The Midnight Sun") is a phenomenon in which the sun is still visible after midnight in settlements near the Arctic Circle -- in some cases, it won't set for months at a time. It is during this season when the savagely beaten body of a local 17-year-old girl is found in Nightmute, a quiet Alaskan town whose only claim to fame is the title of "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World". The vicious nature of the killing and the meticulous manner in which the body was cleaned has confounded the local police, who soon realize that they need help.

Will Dormer (Pacino), a legendary detective from the Robbery and Homicide division of the Los Angeles Police Department, is flown to Nightmute to assist the locals in tracking down the girl's killer. With his partner in tow -- and with the assistance of a local rookie named Ellie Burr (Swank) -- Dormer uses his wealth of experience with violent crimes to find leads that could bring the case to a swift end. All is not right with Detective Dormer, however: an Internal Affairs investigation back home has put his division under pressure, and the threat of his partner cutting a deal could put his entire career in jeopardy.

The stress of the investigation, combined with an extreme case of insomnia brought on by the White Nights, begins to overwhelm Dormer; as he goes several days without sleep, the lines between fantasy and reality start to blur, leaving him to question the sins of his past and the bleak prospect of his future. Little does he know that the man he's been hunting is watching him closely, and one tragic mistake is all the killer will need to exploit the detective's weakness...

** [[spoiler:Will Dormer accidentally shoots his partner Hap while they're tracking Kay's killer through the mist, but he covers it up because he had a motive for killing him. Towards the end however, not even he is sure whether it was an accident or not.]]
** [[spoiler:Subverted with Kay's death. Walter Finch claims that this is how Kay died, but he's just making excuses. When she died, rather than panicking, he meticulously and calmly prepared her body to remove any evidence. Dormer also reveals near the end that the research shows that he would have to have taken around 15 minutes to beat her to death, making it anything but accidental.]]
* AffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Walter Finch is very polite and friendly towards Will, viewing him as a similar mind.]]
* AssholeVictim: Randy, whom the two men discuss setting up for Kay's murder. He didn't kill her but was certainly abusive.
* BerserkButton: [[spoiler:Walter Finch beat Kay to death because she pushed his. When she came to him for comfort after having a fight with her boyfriend, he came onto her. She laughed at him, and he reacted with violence.]]
* BluffingTheMurderer: Detective Dormer pulls this off almost immediately after arriving in Nightmute which consequently tips off Finch that he's not just dealing with "backwoods locals" any more.
* BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: A mechanic and police constable, both Native American, have long braided hair.
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:Ellie's view of Dormer.]]
* DealWithTheDevil: Finch, having witnessed Dormer [[spoiler: accidentally shooting his partner]], offers to remain silent on the matter if Dormer agrees to help clear him of the girl's murder.
* EndlessDaytime: The film takes place under the midnight sun, as does the Norwegian orignial.
* FilleFatale: Katharine Isabelle's character.

* ForeignRemake: Of the eponymous 1997 Norwegian thriller.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler: Dormer's sin, which he is concerned IA will discover. Also, Finch's rationale for framing the dead girl's boyfriend.]]
* HasTwoThumbsAnd Loves Blowjobs?: Said by one of the Sheriff's deputies.
* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Dormer himself at the end. It straddles the line between downer and bittersweet. He redeems himself for his sins and kills Kay's murderer, and he ensures that Ellie Burr maintains her integrity. On the other hand, by doing so Dormer ensures that a large part of his life's work will be undone when his dishonesty gets out.]]
* TheInsomniac: Played in realistic fashion by Will Dormer, as well as Finch, who sympathizes with the detective in a series of taunting phone calls.

* LetMeAtHim: Invoked by Detective Dormer, who is being blackmailed by Kay's killer for an incident in which he accidentally shot his partner. During the interrogation the actual killer tries to steer the cops to suspect Kay's abusive boyfriend with a "smoking gun" piece of evidence. Dormer has to get out of the interrogation room so he can find the weapon before the cops search the boyfriend's apartment, so he aggressively questions and tries to hit him so his colleagues will think he's overworked and let him out for a while.

* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Walter Finch.]]

* NaiveNewcomer: Ellie Burr is a rookie cop and wide-eyed idealist, who thinks of Dormer as an infallible hero and role-model. As the film progresses, she begins to learn that things are not always as clear-cut as she first thought.
* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer made it look like a serial killer movie in the vein of ''TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' and even went so far as to add a line ([[MissingTrailerScene naturally not found anywhere in the movie itself]]) that claimed the killer kept his victims for 3 days before killing them,
* NotSoDifferent: Finch attempts this on Dormer several times throughout the film. At one point, he mentions that he's always had a great deal of respect for cops, and wanted to be one himself, though he couldn't pass the physical exam.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:Walter Finch]] is a cold-blooded murderer and a literal example who owns two labrador retrievers. When Detective Dormer tracks him down to his apartment the killer is forced to flee, but calls back to make a deal with Dormer and asks him to feed his dogs if he's there anyway.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Dormer's sins keep accumulating throughout the film. First he is living with the guilt of betraying his own ethics to get a criminal behind bars, then of shooting his partner possibly intentionally, then of helping another murderer get away to protect his legacy. He atones by turning against Finch, but dies in the shootout shortly after killing Finch.]]
* ReturningToTheScene: Detective Dormer has specific information leaked to the press about the number of items found in connection to the murder of Kay so that the killer will go back to the cabin where he murdered her to remove more evidence. The cops are waiting for him (having already discovered the cabin through Kay's journals), but they didn't know that there was an underground passageway beneath the cabin which then allows the killer to get away.
* ShootTheDog: In the original version, a dog is shot to provide key evidence. In the remake, Creator/AlPacino shoots a dead dog.
* SkeletonKeyCard: When Dormer first enters Finch's apartment, he picks the lock using a credit card.
* ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld: Those who were born in Alaska and those who come there to escape something. Upon hearing Dormer's confession, his landlord says this - and that [[DarkAndTroubledPast she wasn't born in Alaska]] - to tell him YouAreNotAlone.
* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: [[spoiler:Walter Finch, as played by Robin Williams.]]
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: How Dormer initially sees the choices he make.
* UnfriendlyFire: Implied between [[spoiler: Dormer and Eckhardt]], as questions arise as to whether it was truly an accident.
* VillainProtagonist: Heavily downplayed compared to the original. In the original Norwegian film, the protagonist was far more of a dirty cop, who gets progressively worse as the film goes on. In the remake, Pacino's Dormer is more of a good cop whose past mistakes are coming back to haunt him in his sleep-deprived state.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Many of Will's actions were done out of a genuine belief in Justice and to make sure guilty people get caught.
* WorthyOpponent: Finch views his relationship with Will like this. Will, however. thinks he's no more intelligent or special than the innumerable killers he's dealt with before.

* [[ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld There Are Two Kinds of People in Alaska]]: Those who were born there and those who come there to escape something. Upon hearing Dormer's confession, his landlord says this - and that [[DarkAndTroubledPast she wasn't born in Alaska]] - to tell him YouAreNotAlone.

* StargateCity: Though the story is set in Alaska, much of the movie was filmed in Vancouver and smaller towns in British Columbia.

* [[ReassignedToAntarctica Reassigned To Alaska]]: Dormer and his partner.

* AssholeVictim: Randy, whom the two men set up for Kay's murder. He didn't kill her but was certainly abusive.

* LetMeAtHim: Invoked by Detective Dormer, who is being blackmailed by Kay's killer for an incident in which he accidentally shot his partner. During the interrogation the actual killer tries to steer the cops to suspect Kay's abusive boyfriend with a "smoking gun" piece of evidence. Dormer has to get out of the interrogation room so he can plant the weapon before the cops search the boyfriend's apartment, so he aggressively questions and tries to hit him so his colleagues will think he's overworked and let him out for a while.

* LargeHam: Surprisingly averted by both AlPacino and RobinWilliams, who both give very restrained and understated performances.

* [[ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld There Are Two Kinds Of People in Alaska]]: Those who were born there and those who come there to escape something. Upon hearing Dormer's confession, his landlord says this - and that [[DarkAndTroubledPast she wasn't born in Alaska]] - to tell him YouAreNotAlone.

The stress of the investigation combines with an extreme case of insomnia (brought on by the White Nights) and begins to overwhelm Dormer; as he goes several days without sleep, the lines between fantasy and reality start to blur, leaving him to question the sins of his past and the bleak prospect of his future. Little does he know that the man he's been hunting is watching him closely, and one tragic mistake is all the killer will need to exploit the detective's weakness...

-->'''Will''': This is where your best friend's naked body was found...WRAPPED UP IN GARBAGE BAG !!

-->''Will''': This is where your best friend's naked body was found...WRAPPED UP IN GARBAGE BAG !!

* FilmNoir: A hard-boiled yet angst-ridden cop with a DarkAndTroubledPast he's trying to escape. Moral complications galore. Surprisingly and against the style, the film is entirely set in [[DaylightHorror daylight]].