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The Killing Part 1
The release of this 20-part Danish crime
series was extremely fortuitous, given the world’s current obsession
with a certain girl possessed of a certain tattoo. Move over Dan Brown
and Harry Potter: at this moment in time Scandinavian + murder mystery =
$. Lots of it.
Happily for fans of the genre, The
Killing more than lives up to expectations. The series revolves
around Sarah Lund (Sofie Gråbøl, Daisy Diamond), a
Copenhagen-based Detective looking forward to her and her fiancé’s
imminent relocation to Sweden. On the eve of the departure, 19-year-old
Nanna Birk Larssen is found in a field, raped and brutally murdered.
Along with her replacement Jan Meyer (Everything Will Be Fine’s
Søren Malling), Detective Lund heads the case, uncovering a Millennium
Trilogy-esque trail of intrigue and corruption leading all the way City
Hall and implicating seemingly guilty local politician Troels Hartmann
(Lars Mikkelsen) in the process.
Recently earmarked by Fox for an American
remake, The Killing is an adroit and highly addictive
affair from its accomplished first episode to its cliffhanger finale.
The series makes excellent use of its epic runtime, introducing a slew
of supporting characters – such as Nanna’s grieving parents and
Hartmann’s dismayed lover Rie – that lend an engrossing air of gravitas,
not to mention emotionality, to proceedings. It’s mandatory viewing for
followers of crime TV, and a thrilling exploration of both the criminal
psyche and Denmark’s little-seen seamy underbelly.
Audio & Video
The Killing is a dark affair
in every sense – colours are quite muted, perhaps in an attempt to mimic
visually the sombre subject matter – and there are much use of shadow
and eerily-lit night time sequences. It works well within the milieu,
and the 16:9 widescreen enhanced transfer is crisp and free of defects.
The Danish DD 2.0 audio is solid and consistent throughout.
Special Features
Nada. Ten hours over three discs doesn’t
exactly leave you feeling short-changed, however. |
