Flame and Citron

Director: Ole Christian Madsen

Starring: Thure Lindhardt, Mads Mikkelson, Stine Stengade, Peter Mygind, Christian Berkel

Synopsis:

1944. Denmark has fallen to Hitler’s Armies. German soldiers, supported by Danish Nazi troops, patrol the streets of Copenhagen. From the shadows the Gestapo and the SS seek to gain control of society, and ruthlessly hunt down and execute any members of the resistance.

Two such freedom fighters, the red haired Flame and the bespectacled, introverted Citron, are tasked with the assassination of people judged to be collaborators with the Nazi occupiers. They spend their lives in clandestine meetings with their commanders, evading the Gestapo, in the tense silence of the waiting game, or the terrifying sickening mayhem of the attacks. Knowing that they are fighting against the evil of the Nazi regime, and to free their country keeps the remains of their humanity intact. But, a change in directives from their superiors sees the two men sent to attack Germans instead of Danish collaborators, and a chance meeting with a mysterious blonde pushes the two men into the looking glass world of agent and double agent, where no-one can be trusted and motives become indefinable. They end up on a collision course with the resistance command, the Gestapo Chief, and their own conscience.



Review:

This captivating film is based on the true story of two of Denmark’s most famous Resistance Operatives. What they did and why is legend in Denmark, and this is a brilliantly written and performed portrayal.

If you have little or no idea of events in Denmark during the occupation, don’t worry, the story is so well presented that you don’t need to. The opening montage and the enigmatic voiceover from Flame brings us into the time skilfully. In fact the narrative is so clear all the way through that you are always aware of the major events and their significance without it seeming to spoon-feed or patronise.

The on-screen relationship between the two men (Thure Lindhart as Flame and Mads Mikkelson as Citron) is intriguing. The frequent killing and stress from constant fear of capture means they have no need for tact or courtesy or small talk or any of the hindrances and hypocrisy of modern life. Their friendship is stripped down to the utterly brutal honesty of those who live a day at a time.

Lindhart's portrayal of Flame is hypnotic. His is the absolutely still face, expressionless yet pouring emotion out from unblinking eyes. His movements are always poised and controlled (until he meets the dangerous Ketty of course) and his voice almost never raised, Citron on the other hand is discomforting to watch. Strung out on stimulants to keep him alert he is a mass of confined energy, but from the moment that he agrees to shoot a woman accused of collaboration as Flame cannot kill women, he begins to shake apart completely, until the stone-cold killer we see in the film’s dramatic final scenes is almost unrecognisable from the quiet nervous driver of the opening.

Madsen’s Direction is entirely worthy of praise here. This is an accomplished piece of film making. He brings together brilliant economical dialogue, talented actors and a hugely creative vision. In all honesty you wouldn’t really watch this for the action sequences. The emotionally charged interplay between the characters is the meat of this sandwich, however all that dramatic tension has to go somewhere, and when the action sequences do happen they are always faultlessly shot and performed. It’s a particular trick of this film to catch you by surprise time and again. Flame and Citron are (or in Citron’s case, become) incredibly fast and brutal.

It’s easy to write them of as little more than thugs at the start of the film as they tend to shoot unarmed, unprepared people, but as things progress and they find themselves going after much harder targets (memorably a German officer with cat like reflexes and almost a sixth sense.) they have to really move.

The cinematography largely calls to mind nineteen fifties war movies or Detective movies, people spend a lot of time with part of their face in shadow in restaurants and hotel rooms and much of the interior lighting creates a stylish gloom which nicely counterpoints the blue grey skies over the cityscapes of the daylight exteriors. The feeling of space in the Copenhagen streets and the elegant architecture of the old city make this visually facinating. There must have been considerable effort from production design (by Jette Lehman) as well. The Wartime wardrobe and decorating is absolutely convincing making the whole film look entirely genuine. A classical score by Karsten Fundal suits very well, providing a tasteful and appropriate backdrop to the sensational moments, and intimate glimpses alike.

Verdict:

The film grips from the beginning and you are never sure where it is going, It carries you along because as the two men are manipulated and betrayed by circumstance and treacherous people you begin to really understand them both, and you want to see them come through.

A highly enjoyable film, More than a little dark, but exactly as it should be.

8 out of 10 (Sulaco)