I think a lot of people just didn't "get" this movie...

Rating: 9/10 (26 October 2002)

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** Insomnia is a masterful work of metaphorical art. I think many of the reviewers that have posted on this movie have failed to see the deeper meanings in this movie. Many others on here have given the blow-by-blow on this picture, so I won't add that. I will, however, point out some plot details that seem to have been over-looked by many people.
**SPOILER ALERT**
-Pacino's insomnia is not being caused by the never ending daylight. Hilary Swank's character says, "good cops can't sleep because a piece of the puzzle is missing, and bad cops can't sleep because of the guilt". In Pacino's case, you don't know which one it really is. He is a good cop in that he always has the right intentions, even when he does wrong things. But he's also a bad cop by some of his "questionable" police work (planting evidence, lying about shooting his partner). The light is a metaphor for all of this, he feels as if he's under a spotlight, so to speak, because even he doesn't know if he's good or bad anymore. This really comes focus when the Innkeeper comes into his room as he's try to block out the light. She says, "it is dark in here", and then turns on the lights in a blinding effect. The room had been suitably dark all along, it was his conscience keeping him awake. This certainly wasn't a plot hole and, infact, was one of the strong points of the movie.
-The ending of the movie was excellent in my opinion. Not only did it focus on the ambiguities of the two main characters, but it also showed how William's character was just a slightly darker "shade of grey" in comparison to Pacino's. Deep down William's character was an evil man, despite doing some good things. Pacino, on the other hand, turned out to be good when his life was on the line, despite some of his past misgivings. He steered Swank's character in the right direction, even though she was more than willing to protect his legacy.
-In the end, the flawed people died. Having not seen the original, I can't compare the two, but I thought it was fitting. Pacino essentially 'saved' Swank by directing her to do the right thing in the end, clearing his conscience as he was dying. He knew that if she were to lose the bullet casing, she would end up to be just as doomed as he found himself to be.
In all, great acting, a superior script (contrary to unpopular belief), and perfect symbolism make this a very good movie. If you're a person who needs everything spelled out for them, then don't even bother. If, however, you can read between the lines and catch the underlying themes in this movie, it's a must see.
9/10 A very, very rare score from me.