It's a remake of two movies.

Rating: Null/10 (19 June 2002)

As it has been generally noted, the 2002, American "Insomnia" reprises and deepens the 1997, Norwegian "Insomnia." I haven't yet seen the Norwegian version, but expect to find it quite good. My little bit of news, and the reason for this note, is my belief that another, older film is also a predecessor of, if not a source for the American "Insomnia." This other film is Orson Welles' noir classic, "Touch of Evil." The main story points of the two films are too similar to be neglected. In each film we meet a brilliant detective who is exhausted, battered and bowed by his personal war on crime. Each man does battle with resident evil; in his struggle to forestall it, he instead falls into it. Through detective Dormer, and through detective Quinlan before him, we see how the abuse of power corrodes a strong mind and corrupts a good heart. In each story, a small town serves as the stage for the powerful detective's comeuppance; the atmosphere of each town is weighted with tragical doom. Each detective has a partner who looks up and reveres him, until becoming disillusioned by the truth. Dormer and Quinlan are both sucked into a sinister partnership with a detested and unrepentent criminal. As their partner in crime makes their flesh crawl, we see each man awaken fully to the consequences of his earlier embrace with evil. An audio recording threatens each man with exposure. In the end, Dormer wakes up from his personal hell, whereas Quinlan doesn't, but the price of redemption for each man is the same.