Trollhunter

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Movie
German title Trollhunter
Original title Trolljegeren
Country of production Norway
original language Norwegian
Publishing year 2010
length 104 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director André Øvredal
script André Øvredal
production Opinion Golimo
John M. Jacobsen
Lars L. Marøy
Trond G. Lockertsen
Marcus B. Brodersen
music Johan Husvik
camera Hallvard Bræin
cut Per-Erik Eriksen
occupation
  • Otto Jespersen: Hans (Trolljegeren)
  • Hans Morten Hansen: Finn
  • Tomas Alf Larsen: Kalle
  • Johanna Mørck: Johanna

Trollhunter (Norwegian original title: Trolljegeren ; in German [The] Trolljäger ) is a Norwegian fantasy thriller from 2010 that was shot in the form of a mockumentary . Directed by André Øvredal , who also wrote the script. The actors in the film are relatively unknown, only the comedian Otto Jespersen was known beforehand. The film was released in Norwegian cinemas on October 29, 2010 and in German cinemas on April 7, 2011. It was also screened at the renowned Sundance Film Festival in January 2011 . Trollhunter received mixed reviews from Norwegian film critics .

action

In the introductory sentences it is reported that the following recordings are roughly cut film material that was anonymously sent to the film company.

A group of three students want to shoot a documentary about the alleged bear poacher Hans. They follow Hans through Vestlandet . When they tried to question him, he shooed them away, but the students stayed on his heels. As they follow Hans into a forest, they see flashing lights and hear roars of something that presumably cannot be a bear. Hans comes running towards them and yells “ Troll !”. Everything flees through the undergrowth, one of the students is injured in the shoulder (obviously bitten), but finally they find protection together in Hans's SUV, a noticeably battered Land Rover Defender 110. The students' car - an old VW Golf  - is found destroyed and overturned on the way back. Among other things, its tires have disappeared, but the rims are covered with tough slime . Then Hans agrees that the students can accompany him on the hunt for the troll. He hopes to be able to draw attention to the grievances of his "profession".

The following evening, Hans wants to know whether one of the students is a Christian , since trolls could track down Christians by smell. All assure that they are not Christians and then return to the forest of the previous night. Hans instructs the students to wash and rub them with a troll essence that smells mercilessly. Then they follow him deeper into the forest, where they are supposed to wait in a clearing for further instructions. Meanwhile, they speculate that Hans might make fun of them. But then they see bright light, hear roars and feel the ground shake. A large three-headed troll comes out of the forest. They flee headlong through the forest and lose contact with each other. The following scenes are then only shown from the perspective of the cameraman, who acts comparatively panic and is obviously the target of the troll attack. Back at Hans' car, he blinds the troll with powerful headlights, which then turns to stone. Here the students finally decide to accompany Hans on the troll hunt. You will learn from him that there are two types of trolls - mountain and forest trolls - which are also divided into different subspecies: some with three heads, others can grow up to 100 m tall. Hans is the only Norwegian troll hunter to work for a secret troll security agency. His job is to investigate the trolls that leave their territory and to kill them if necessary. This is done by means of strong UV radiation sources , which either petrify or explode the trolls.

While Hans wants the troll thing to finally be brought to light, his supervisor Finn sees it very differently and even threatens the film team to confiscate the film equipment. The population the students meet is unsuspecting on the subject. The media in particular repeatedly blame bears, tornadoes or other rational-sounding reasons for the devastation caused by trolls.

On the next hunt, Hans succeeds in taking a blood sample from a troll and then taking it to the laboratory. However, the evaluation is a long time coming. The next lead brings you to an abandoned mine where several trolls have nested. When the team arrives, the trolls are out of the house, but they come back and block the way back. Holding out in a niche, the cameraman panics because he is a Christian. On the escape from the cave he finally falls victim to the trolls, but his battered camera initially delivers more images.

With a new camerawoman, the team continues the hunt, this time for an apparently huge troll, which seems to be the cause of the uproar in the troll community . Before the hunt, they learn from Hans why he is skeptical of Finn and why he once had to wreak a massacre among trolls in which even newborns, children and pregnant female trolls died. A call from the lab tells the group that the troll whose blood was being tested was infected with rabies. This also explains why one of the students who was bitten by a troll at the beginning is noticeably worse off: He was apparently also infected with rabies from the bite. Finally appeared in the Fjell an enormous, also infected troll from safe 100 meters in size. After a tough fight, Hans succeeds in killing the giant in the approaching dawn. Immediately afterwards, however, Hans' superior Finn appears. The students panicked to flee across the snow-covered fells and the film breaks off.

In the credits it can be heard that the students were never found and the existence of trolls is still more or less denied by the government. The final scene is a press conference in which the Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg declares that he is not a friend of overhead lines . However, he sees no alternative to this because there are trolls in Norway. The end credits are finally provided with a note that no trolls were harmed during the filming.

production

The shooting took place in the forests and mountains of Vestlandet , in western Norway. Actress Johanna Mørck called it a stressful experience. According to director André Øvredal, the team tried to ensure maximum secrecy around the project. They kept the title and cast a secret until shortly before the premiere and released cryptic teasers to create a viral effect.

The producers Sveinung Golimo and John M. Jacobsen recognized the great international interest in the film. Even before the premiere, various American companies expressed interest in a remake . Golimo's and Jacobsen's production company was also responsible for the 2008 commercially successful film Max Manus .

The budget for the film is estimated at NOK 19,900,000  (approx. EUR 2,500,000).

Reviews

Dagbladets Inger Merete Hobbelstad gave the film four out of six points and compared it to the Blair Witch Project . She stated that the dramaturgy could have been partially better. The special effects were of varying quality, although some scenes were "amazing". She also highlighted Jespersen's appearance as a key element in the film's success. The newspaper Klassekampen also awarded four out of six possible points, as did Verdens gang . Verdens gang critic Morten Ståle Nilsen summarized the film as “Better than feared. Weaker than we hoped. ”Nilsen also compared the Blair Witch Project and found Trollhunter neither brilliant nor original, but predicted great commercial success. Just like Hobbelstad, he praised Jespersen.

Mode Steinkjer from the newspaper Dagsavisen gave the film a positive rating of five out of six. He highlighted Øvredal's ability to combine “subtle humor with physical tension” and praised the “remarkable naturalness” of the three students Tosterud, Larsen and Mørck. Kjersti Nipen from Aftenposten awarded only three out of six points and called Trollhunter “flat, predictable and rather devoid of content”. Although she found it funny at times, she found the mockumentary format to be exhausted and used too often. The criticism in the Morgenbladet was also not positive.

The best criticism in Norway came from NRK , the state broadcasting company. Birger Vestmo awarded the highest number of points with six out of six possible points and wrote that "a Norwegian classic was born". He also praised the film for the successful mixture of Norwegian cultural elements and a Hollywood-like atmosphere .

At the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival 2011, Trollhunter received the award for the best film and the best European film as well as the audience award.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Espen Ødegård: - Som et eventyr å være med på. Ringerikes Blad, October 29, 2010; accessed February 8, 2011 (Norwegian).
  2. Ronald Hole, Lars Holger Ursin: - Det var helt vilt. (No longer available online.) Bergens Tidende , October 26, 2010, archived from the original on October 30, 2010 ; Retrieved February 8, 2011 (Norwegian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bt.no
  3. ^ A b Ida Anna Haugen: «Trolljegeren» -produsent: - Man må ta troll på alvor. Verdens Gang , October 28, 2010, accessed February 8, 2011 (Norwegian).
  4. Box office / business for Trolljegeren (2010). IMDb , accessed February 8, 2011 .
  5. Inger Merete Hobbelstad: Toys og tull - og troll. Dagbladet , October 28, 2010; accessed February 8, 2011 (Norwegian).
  6. Guri Kulås: Troll i ord? In: Klassekampen . October 28, 2010, p. 28 (Norwegian).
  7. Morten Ståle Nilsen: Trolls til fjells. Verdens Gang , October 27, 2010, accessed February 8, 2011 (Norwegian).
  8. Mode Steinkjer: Sprekker ikke. (No longer available online.) Dagsavisen, October 29, 2010, archived from the original on October 31, 2010 ; Retrieved February 8, 2011 (Norwegian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dagsavisen.no
  9. Kjersti Nipen: Lite eventyrlig om troll. Aftenposten , October 28, 2010, accessed February 8, 2011 (Norwegian).
  10. Ulrik Eriksen: Sprekkeferdig . In: Morgenbladet . October 29, 2010, p. 28-29 (Norwegian).
  11. Birger Vestmo: Trolljegeren. NRK , October 26, 2010, accessed February 8, 2011 (Norwegian).