Based on a true story, Ole Christian Madsen's "Flammen & Citronen" a.k.a "Flame and Citron" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video. In 2009, the film won a Bodil Award for Best Cinematography (Jørgen Johansson). Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are interviews with Mads Mikkelsen, Thure Lindhardt, and director Ole Christian Madsen; a text-format essay on the history of the Danish Resistance Movement, and more. With imposed English subtitles. Region-Free.
Done
Here's a film that does not attempt to glamorize the business of being an anti-Nazi fighter. Instead, it delivers a realistic look at the moral dilemmas patriots inevitably face once they begin to realize that killing - no matter the pretext or justification - is murder.
The key characters in the film are two young Danes, both members of the Danish Resistance Movement. The red-haired Flame (Thure Lindhardt, Nordkraft) is an outspoken and passionate man, who detests everything the Nazi regime promotes. Citron (Mads Mikkelsen, Open Hearts) is the quiet one; he is a true patriot whose heart overflows with love for his country.
While visiting a local bistro, Flame encounters the beautiful and slightly older Ketty (Stine Stengade, Prague). Shortly after, they begin an affair. Flame is surprised to learn that Ketty knows a lot about him and begins to suspect that she may not be who she pretends to be. Nevertheless, he continues to see her.
Meanwhile, Flame and Citron continue to kill – they eliminate a number of prominent Nazis as well as a few of their collaborators. Impressed, their superior orders them to take out a heavily guarded German colonel, Gilbert (Hanns Zischler, Red and Blue). He warns Flame and Citron that Gilbert is unlike anyone they have dealt with - he is incredibly intelligent and capable of manipulating his opponents. Flame meets Gilbert but fails to kill him.
The next target Flame is asked to take out is Ketty. His superior reveals that she is a double agent, who has been providing the head of Gestapo, Hoffmann (Christian Berkel, Downfall), with crucial information about members of the Resistance. At first, Flame rejects the accusation as ridiculous, but later on, when he visits Ketty's place and discovers an incredibly accurate drawing of him, with his real name on it, he begins to suspect that she might indeed be working for the Nazis. When Ketty arrives, however, she reveals her true identity to Flame, and shows him top-secret documents indicating that his superior has been using him and Citron to eliminate innocent people who knew about certain business dealings he had done with the Nazis. Flame walks away and shares what he has learned with Citron. For the first time ever, the two begin to question the purpose of their "work".
Based on a true story, Ole Christian Madsen's Flame and Citron is a heavily atmospheric film that strips away the glamor similarly themed productions typically emphasize and instead focuses on the questionable nature of patriotism. There are no true heroes and villains in the film – at one point, even the Nazis question their actions - only men who have allowed to be manipulated.
Oscar Wilde once said that "Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious", and Flame and Citron certainly goes a long way in proving so. There are different characters in it - on both sides of the conflict - that do terrible things that are excused only by the supposedly noble cause they believe in.
Aside from a few weak anti-Nazi slogans, the dialog in Flame and Citron is superb; it sustains the moody aura of the film incredibly well. Furthermore, there are no uncomfortable overdramatizations. The emotions the main characters endure are realistic and believable.
The acting is very strong. Danish star Mads Mikkelsen's delivers an intense performance that is every bit as convincing as that of his fellow countryman Thure Lindhardt. German actor Christian Berkel, who a number of different directors like to cast whenever an evil Nazi is needed in a period project, has a limited amount of time in front of the camera, but makes the most of it. The beautiful Stine Stengade is also impressive.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.27:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ole Christian Madsen's Flame and Citron arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video.
This is a very strong transfer from Metrodome Video. Detail, particularly during the outdoor scenes, is excellent, clarity very good, and contrast consistently strong. Furthermore, the film's interesting color-scheme - the unique use of light has created a variety of blues, grays, and blacks - is also handled exceptionally well. Edge-enhancement is never a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. There are no stability issues to report either. I also did not detect any disturbing scratches, debris, dirt, or stains to report in this review. Really, Flame and Citron looks remarkably strong on Blu-ray. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray disc is marketed as being Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. I would also like to make it perfectly clear that there is no PAL or 1080i/50 content preceding the main menu).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Danish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Metrodome Video have provided imposed English subtitled for the main feature. They appear inside the image frame and cannot be turned off.
The audio treatment is as impressive as the video treatment. The Danish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track conveys a wide range of dynamics that truly enhance the film's noirish aura. Karsten Fundal's gentle music score, in particular, is very effective. The surround channels and bass are get a decent amount of workout, especially during the shootout scenes from the second half of the film. There are no issues to report with the high-frequencies. Finally, the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Additionally, there are no disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings that I detected. To sum it all up, the Danish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is of very high quality and serving the film exceptionally well.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.
Interview - an Al Jazeera interview with Mads Mikkelsen (a.k.a Citron) in which he talks about the character he plays and the message of the film. Before the interview begins, there is a short summation of his work. In English. (12 min).
Interviews - two interviews, one with Thure Lindhardt (14 min) and one with Ole Christian Madsen (23). They share their thoughts on the film and talk about the two controversial main protagonists - Flame and Citron. In English.
A Nation Under Occupation - a text-format essay (6 pages) focusing the history of the Danish Resistance Movement.
Theatrical Trailer - In Danish with English subtitles. (2 min).
Beautifully shot and superbly executed, Flame and Citron is a film you do not want to miss. British distributors Metrodome Video have put together a wonderful Blu-ray package that I have no hesitations giving our strongest recommendation. This one is a keeper, folks!
Metrodome Video has announced that it will release 'Flame & Citron' (Flammen & Citronen) on Blu-ray in the UK on June 29. This Danish movie is based on the real story of two assassins who operated for the Danish resistance during World War II. It stars Mads Mikkelsen ...
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