Cold Fever
Encyclopedia
Cold Fever is a 1995 Icelandic film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
. It is a road movie set in Iceland
and was the first of Friðrik's films to be made in the English language
. The movie depicts the travels of a Japanese man
across Iceland. It was jokingly promoted as the best Icelandic-Japanese road movie of 1995.
) is a successful Japan
ese businessman whose plan for a two-week winter holiday in Hawaii
to play golf changes when his elderly grandfather (Seijun Suzuki
) reminds him that he should go to Iceland
.
Hirata’s parents died there seven years ago, and the seven year death anniversary
is a significant event in Japanese culture. Hirata must perform a ceremony
in the river
where they died after drowning in an avalanche - the drowned must be fed by the surviving family
members if they are to find peace.
Hirata goes to Iceland
- to Reykjavík
. His final destination is a remote river on the far side of the island. He encounters one mishap and misadventure after another. He first accidentally gets on a wrong bus filled with German tourists traveling to see the hot springs. He also confronts a language barrier, since he cannot speak any Icelandic, and knows very little English. After his first day's misadventures, Hirata decides to purchase an ancient, bright red Citroën DS
to make the journey. During the long drive, Hirata meets several strange people along the way. These include the mystical woman
who sells him the car, that only plays one radio station, a woman who collects photographs of funerals, two American hitchhiker/fugitive
s (Lili Taylor
and Fisher Stevens
), who turn out to be armed and dangerous who proceed to steal his car. Nearing his destination, Hirata meets an old man (Gísli Halldórsson
) named Siggi, the owner of a local lodge who teaches Hirata how to drink the most potent alcoholic beverage in Iceland
.
After explaining his determination to travel to where his parents died, Hirata is aided by Siggi who borrows a pair of Icelandic horses from a local farmer, and the two of them travel on horseback to Hirata's destination. After riding across an ice cap glacier, over a ridge and into the valley where Hirata's parents died, he dismounts and is told by Siggi that he must go on alone to complete his journey. After traversing a rickety bridge to the river, Hirata arrives at the river bank where he performs his cleansing ceremony at last.
, another movie in which a successful Japanese man travels foreign land in a newly purchased bright red 1967 Citroen DS and meets strange characters, though this time in Australia.
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
. It is a road movie set in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and was the first of Friðrik's films to be made in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The movie depicts the travels of a Japanese man
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
across Iceland. It was jokingly promoted as the best Icelandic-Japanese road movie of 1995.
Synopsis
Hirata (Masatoshi NagaseMasatoshi Nagase
Masatoshi Nagase is a Japanese actor. He is best known in the West for his roles in Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's Cold Fever and Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, in Japan for his role as TV's Mike Hama .He has won two Japanese Academy Awards, for Best Supporting Actor and Best Newcomer in 1992...
) is a successful Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese businessman whose plan for a two-week winter holiday in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to play golf changes when his elderly grandfather (Seijun Suzuki
Seijun Suzuki
, born Seitaro Suzuki on May 24, 1923, is a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. His films are renowned by film enthusiasts worldwide for their jarring visual style, irreverent humour, nihilistic cool and entertainment-over-logic sensibility...
) reminds him that he should go to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
Hirata’s parents died there seven years ago, and the seven year death anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
is a significant event in Japanese culture. Hirata must perform a ceremony
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
in the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
where they died after drowning in an avalanche - the drowned must be fed by the surviving family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
members if they are to find peace.
Hirata goes to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
- to Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. His final destination is a remote river on the far side of the island. He encounters one mishap and misadventure after another. He first accidentally gets on a wrong bus filled with German tourists traveling to see the hot springs. He also confronts a language barrier, since he cannot speak any Icelandic, and knows very little English. After his first day's misadventures, Hirata decides to purchase an ancient, bright red Citroën DS
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
to make the journey. During the long drive, Hirata meets several strange people along the way. These include the mystical woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
who sells him the car, that only plays one radio station, a woman who collects photographs of funerals, two American hitchhiker/fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
s (Lili Taylor
Lili Taylor
Lili Anne Taylor is an American actress notable for her appearances in such award-winning indie films as Mystic Pizza, Say Anything..., Short Cuts and I Shot Andy Warhol, and the acclaimed TV show Six Feet Under....
and Fisher Stevens
Fisher Stevens
Fisher Stevens is an American actor, director and producer. His most recent successes include the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film The Cove and 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film Crazy Love...
), who turn out to be armed and dangerous who proceed to steal his car. Nearing his destination, Hirata meets an old man (Gísli Halldórsson
Gísli Halldórsson
Gísli Halldórsson was an Icelandic actor of theatre, radio, film and television, and one of the most popular Icelandic actors of the late twentieth century...
) named Siggi, the owner of a local lodge who teaches Hirata how to drink the most potent alcoholic beverage in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
After explaining his determination to travel to where his parents died, Hirata is aided by Siggi who borrows a pair of Icelandic horses from a local farmer, and the two of them travel on horseback to Hirata's destination. After riding across an ice cap glacier, over a ridge and into the valley where Hirata's parents died, he dismounts and is told by Siggi that he must go on alone to complete his journey. After traversing a rickety bridge to the river, Hirata arrives at the river bank where he performs his cleansing ceremony at last.
Cast
- Masatoshi NagaseMasatoshi NagaseMasatoshi Nagase is a Japanese actor. He is best known in the West for his roles in Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's Cold Fever and Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, in Japan for his role as TV's Mike Hama .He has won two Japanese Academy Awards, for Best Supporting Actor and Best Newcomer in 1992...
: Hirata. - Lili TaylorLili TaylorLili Anne Taylor is an American actress notable for her appearances in such award-winning indie films as Mystic Pizza, Say Anything..., Short Cuts and I Shot Andy Warhol, and the acclaimed TV show Six Feet Under....
: Jill. - Fisher StevensFisher StevensFisher Stevens is an American actor, director and producer. His most recent successes include the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film The Cove and 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film Crazy Love...
: Jack. - Gísli HalldórssonGísli HalldórssonGísli Halldórsson was an Icelandic actor of theatre, radio, film and television, and one of the most popular Icelandic actors of the late twentieth century...
: Siggi. - Seijun SuzukiSeijun Suzuki, born Seitaro Suzuki on May 24, 1923, is a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. His films are renowned by film enthusiasts worldwide for their jarring visual style, irreverent humour, nihilistic cool and entertainment-over-logic sensibility...
: Grandfather. - Laura Huges: Laura.
- Jóhannes B. Guðmundsson: Old Man.
- Bríet Héðinsdóttir: Old Woman.
- Guðmundur Karl Sigurdórsson: Guest at Thorrablot (uncredited).
- Magnús Ólafsson: ???
- Rúrik Haraldsson: ???
- Flosi Ólafsson: ???
- Ari Matthíasson: ???
- Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir: ???
- Hallbjörn Hjartarson: ???
- Katrín Ólafsdóttir: ???
- Jóhannes Grínari: ???
Crew
- Director: Friðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
- Screenplay: Jim StarkJim StarkJim Stark may refer to:* The protagonist in the film Rebel Without a Cause, played by James Dean* Jim Stärk, Norwegian pop band* Jim Stark, Vacuum Cleaner empire builder in the northwestern United States...
and Friðrik Þór Friðriksson - Producer: Jim StarkJim StarkJim Stark may refer to:* The protagonist in the film Rebel Without a Cause, played by James Dean* Jim Stärk, Norwegian pop band* Jim Stark, Vacuum Cleaner empire builder in the northwestern United States...
- Co-producer: George Gund III
- Executive producer: Reinhard Brundig, Peter Aalbæk JensenPeter Aalbæk JensenPeter Aalbæk Jensen is a Danish film producer who in 1992 with director Lars von Trier founded the Danish film company Zentropa and later its huge studio complex Filmbyen....
, and Christa Saredi - Line producer: Ari Kristinsson
- Director of Photography: Ari Kristinsson
- Production Designer: Árni Páll Jóhannsson
- Editor: Steingrímur Karlsson
- Film edition: Steingrímur Karlsson
- Sound Design: Kjartan Kjartansson
- Sound edition: Ingvar Lundberg
- Music: Hilmar Örn HilmarssonHilmar Örn HilmarssonHilmar Örn Hilmarsson , also known as HÖH , is a musician, an art director, and allsherjargoði of Ásatrúarfélagið ....
- Featuring “Killer Boogie” by ÞeyrÞeyrÞeyr was a renowned Icelandic New Wave band from the early 1980s. Shrouded under a veil of mystery, their three-year existence was characterized by a deep interest in ancient wisdom...
- Costume design: María Ólafsdóttir
- Production manager: Inga Björk Sólnes
- Gaffer: Andreas Burkhard
- Generator operator: Eggert Einarsson
- Still photography: Mark Higashino
- Script supervisor: Inga Lísa Middleton
- Colour grader: Petra Schütt
- Production: Icelandic Film Corporation, Iciclefilm, Pandora Film, Sunrice Inc., Zentropa EntertainmentsZentropaEuropa is a film directed by Lars von Trier. Released in 1991, it is von Trier's third theatrical feature film and is the final film in the Europa trilogy....
, George Gund III - Support: Film Fond of Hamburg
See also
The Goddess of 1967The Goddess of 1967
The Goddess of 1967 is a 2000 Australian film directed by Macau-born Australian Clara Law, who wrote the script with her husband Eddie Ling-Ching Fong....
, another movie in which a successful Japanese man travels foreign land in a newly purchased bright red 1967 Citroen DS and meets strange characters, though this time in Australia.
External links
- Cold Fever at the Icelandic Film Corporation