Orion's Belt (film) - Reception

Reception

Aftenposten criticized the narrative for placing the climax in the middle. The actors were characterized as playing amateur theater, but the newspaper praised the action scenes and cinematography. In contrast, Verdens Gang praised the film, characterizing the three main actors as having international standards, all in the spirit of Michelet. It gave the film a five of six ranking. Nordlys commented on the realism in the film's topic. It criticized the special effects, which it stated there were less of than in foreign films, and the long time before the story was understood. Yet it praised the suspense which was retained throughout the film and felt Holmen gave the best acting performance. Adresseavisen stated that the film was "too good to be Norwegian". It praised the film for its exciting story, for illustrating how Norway was part of the Cold War and how unimportant a single human is in superpower politics. It commented that Michelet was a political author, which allowed him to problematize political issues which were not acceptable for public debate. It also agreed with Harris' choice to remove all flashbacks.

Dagbladet commented that the film downplayed the left-winged political aspect of the book and instead focused on the storyline and action. It commended that with increased funding for special effects, Solum was able to achieve his true potential as an action director. It praised Paalsgard for the cinematography and the natural integration of nature footage and backdrops. Following the presentation of the shortened and new ending version, Dagbladet stated that "they could just as well have kept the old one". Klassekampen praised the film for its action and accepted that it had reduced the amount of intrigue in the novel. The character of Jansen was applauded, as it showed how small an individual is against the superpowers. As the only newspaper, Klassekampen praised the film music. Variety stated that the film was "a superbly mounted, convincingly told adventure thriller. Action scenes, such as the helicopter attack, are excitingly staged, and the suspense never lets up. As the rugged Tom, Helge Jordal is very good." However, the magazine criticized the title.

The film took a hat-trick at the inaugural Amanda Award, Norway's premier film awards. It won the category for best feature film, Jordal won the category for best male actor, and Bøhren and Åserud won the category for best film music. Orion's Belt was nominate for best film at the International Mystery Film Festival of Cattolica and Ola Solum won the award for best direction. The composers were awarded the 1986 Film Critics' Prize for the music. In 2007, Dagbladet ranked Orion's Belt as Norway's tenth-most important film.

In May 2012, Tomas Backström announced plans for a remake of the film. He stated that he had secured half the necessary NOK 40 million in financing and that he hoped for state grants for the rest. Actors planned for the remake include Aksel Hennie, Nicolai Cleve Broch, Ola Rapace and Tuva Novotny.