Christopher Nolan’s 2002 thrillerInsomniais full of twists and turns that many fans of the director find enjoyable, if not confusing. The movie follows Detective Dormer (Al Pacino), who goes to an always-light Alaska with his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) and Alaskan detective Burr (Hilary Swank) to investigate a woman’s murder. There, Dormer accidentally kills his partner and is badgered by the woman’s killer, Walter Finch (Robin Williams), who knows his secret.Insomniadoesn’t have a signatureChristopher Nolan twist ending, but it does have asomewhat ambiguous final moment.
Insomniais relatively straightforward withInsomnia’s actors and directorall having considerable filmmaking experience. This professionalism and film setting madeInsomniaa well-liked movie, witha92% on Rotten Tomatoes.Christopher Nolan himself considers the movie underrated, overshadowed by his other major hits. However,Insomniais especially memorable and poignant in its final moments, though some are left wondering whatInsomnia’sending means.
What Happens In Insomnia’s Ending
Dormer and Finch’s Deaths Explained
At the end ofInsomnia,Dormer has lost all grip on realityand is almost too tired to function. He also confesses the details of his aforementioned internal affairs investigation, filling the audience in on his concept of morality and his job. However, he realizes that Burr is in danger as she goes to see Finch to collect evidence, and goes after her to help her. After a chaotic hallucination on the way to Finch’s boat house, Dormer arrives just in time. He and Finch fight, resulting in them both being shot. Finch dies immediately, while Dormer staggers out of the house and finds Burr.
Insomniawas a remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name.
By his side, Burr offers to help get rid of the bullet casing that linked him to the murder of his partner earlier in the movie. But as a dying wish, Dormer tells her not to get involved and let him sleep, which would mean finally putting the internal affairs investigation to rest. The film ends asDormer dies in Burr’s armson the dock, and she looks over his body and the Alaskan expanse, thinking about what she is going to do.
The Significance Of Insomnia’s Alaska Location Explained
The Setting Emphasizes The Sense Of Isolation That Plagues Dormer
Insomniatakes place in the small town of Nightmute, Alaska. The rather barren but beautiful setting is established by fly-over shots of the detectives' plane flying into town. In this scene, it is also shared that Nightmute is far from other cities,emphasizing the remoteness and isolation of the location. Even still, Dormer’s drama still follows him north. As the hotel keeper tells him, “There are two kinds of people who live in Alaska: the ones who are born here and the ones who come here to escape something else.” It turns out Dormer is the latter.
The film was shot near the real town of Nightmute, with many of the establishing shots being in Alaska and British Columbia.
Most notably, themovie’s northern Alaskan settingmeans the sun doesn’t set in the summer. This becomes a major plot point in the film asDormer struggles to get adequate sleep.Without sleep, Dormer loses his focus and grip on reality, making him dangerous. The setting also allows for exciting chase scenes and explorations of specific locations. This comes up in scenes like the chase over the floating logs or the chase through the fog, leaning into the particular qualities of the Alaskan setting.
Why Dormer Has A Hallucination Of A Truck
It Shows He Is No Longer In Control Of His Life
Earlier in the film, when Dormer drives Kay’s friend Tanya away from the funeral, he scares her by playing chicken with a truck on the road. He remains in the truck’s lane as they speed closer to each other. Dormer does this to scare Tanya, rattling her into telling him the truth.It also shows just how intense he can be. It works, as she soon reveals the truth about her strained relationship with Kay.
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But later in the film, as Dormer drives to protect Burr, he sees the truck again. Sleep-deprived and hypnotized by the windshield wipers, Dormer looks up at the road to see a truck speeding toward him again. He swerves, spinning his car to miss the collision, only to realize there is no truck. This encounter with the semi also proves that Dormer can be intense, butit functions to scare him into no longer trusting his own judgment.It shows that he is no longer in control as he once was when playing with his and Tanya’s fate.
What Dormer’s Last Words Mean
He Asks Burr To Let Him Sleep
At the end of the movie, as Dormer dies in front of Burr, he asks her to “let me sleep.” Literally,this is a reference to the rest he will finally get after so many sunlit nightsin Alaska. Metaphorically, he is also asking for rest from the stress and pressure he has been under since the Internal Affairs investigation began. If Burr heeds his warning, the investigation will end with his death and will finally be over.
Before this final request, he also tells Burr, “don’t lose your way.” This is in reference to her promise to help him avoid trouble by disposing of the evidence linking him to the crime. Though it’s a nice gesture,Dormer knows this will lead Burr into the same stress and dramathat plagued him for the past year. He wants her to learn from him without following in his footsteps.
What Happens To The Bullet After Insomnia’s Ending
Burr Puts The Bullet Back In The Evidence Bag
Dormer stops Burr right before she gets rid of the evidence that will link him to his partner’s murder. As she is about to throw the bullet casing into the water, he tells her not to lose her way. After his death,there is a clear shot of her putting the bullet casing back into the evidence bag.However, what she does with the bag is left vague. It can be inferred that she turns the bag in for evidence, especially since, throughout the movie, Burr is established as an outstanding officer, implying she would follow protocol.
Burr makes her plan clear, telling Dormer, “Nobody needs to know. You didn’t mean to do it, and I know that, even if you don’t,” right before attempting to discard the bullet.
Though she has a momentary lapse in judgment, offering to help destroy the evidence and protect Dormer’s name,she finds her way, just as Dormer asks.She realizes the long-term consequences of making rash decisions in the moment. This relates to what Dormer concludes earlier, that what you thought was right at the time is different from what you’re willing to live with.
Why Finch Calls Himself “A Wild Card”
The Author Believes All Good Detective Cases Have A Wild Card
As a writer,Finch is insistent that he knows what makes a good detective novel: a “wild card.“To him, this means something that will put pressure on anything that gets in the way of their plans. In other words, this means something that can mislead the police. While this ends up meaning Kay’s boyfriend, who he tries to blame for the murder, Finch also emphasizes that he is the wild card, as he misleads the investigation as well. He refers to himself as the wild card several times throughout the film, including after revealing that he was recording his entire conversation with Dormer.
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As he and Dormer fight at the end of the film, it seems Dormer might have the upper hand, pulling his gun on Finch. However, Finch quickly pulls out a gun and warns Dormer that he “forgot the wild card,” again referring to himself and his unpredictability. This unpredictability is seen throughout the movie, asFinch almost appears all-knowing and everywhere. He calls Dormer at weird hours, knowing he is awake as if he can see him. He also always says he is going to do one thing and then frequently does the other, taking advantage of Dormer’s delirious sleep-deprived state. The repeated presence of the wild card stands out inInsomnia’sfinal moments.
Insomnia
Cast
Insomnia, directed by Christopher Nolan, follows two Los Angeles homicide detectives sent to a northern town where the sun never sets to investigate the meticulous murder of a local teenager. The incessant daylight plays a critical role in the unraveling of the case and the psychological dynamics between the characters.
