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Brothers
Brødre
2004 117 min Denmark R 12+
★7.6
Drama, War
Director: Susanne Bier
Trailers
Description
A Danish officer, Michael, is sent away to the International Security Assistance Force operation in Afghanistan for three months. His first mission there is to find a young radar technician who had been separated from his squad some days earlier. While on the search, his helicopter is shot down and he is taken as a prisoner of war, but is reported dead to the family.
US Gross:
$389,220
Starring
Ulrich Thomsen
Actor
Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Actor
Connie Nielsen
Actor
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2004
— Silver Shell – Best Performance
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2004
— Silver Shell for Best Actress
Sundance Film Festival 2005
— Audience Award – Drama (World Cinema)
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2004
— Silver Shell for Best Actress
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2004
— Golden Shell
European Film Awards 2005
— Best Actress
European Film Awards 2005
— Best Original Score
Sundance Film Festival 2005
— Grand Jury Prize – Drama (World Cinema)
European Film Awards 2005
— Best Picture
Sundance Film Festival 2005
— Audience Award – Drama (World Cinema)
European Film Awards 2005
— Best Actor
European Film Awards 2005
— Audience Award – Best Actor
Key opinion
Susanne Bier's original Danish drama is widely praised for its stark psychological realism and strong lead performances, especially when contrasted with its later Hollywood remake. While some critics applaud its raw exploration of trauma and moral decay, others find the narrative progression and character motivations to be abrupt, contrived, or lacking in depth.
| Acting | Ulrich Thomsen delivers a powerful performance that effectively anchors the protagonist's descent into PTSD and moral isolation. | |
| Cinematography | The use of tight, intimate cinematography creates a visceral sense of inner turmoil and psychological claustrophobia. | |
| Theme | The film succeeds as a stark, unvarnished exploration of military trauma that avoids the sentimental cliches often found in Hollywood war dramas. | |
| Screenplay | Viewers are split on the narrative execution; some appreciate the brutal efficiency of the storytelling, while others find the character shifts and plot transitions to be illogical and jarring. | |
| Ending | The conclusion divides audiences, with some finding it a fittingly bleak resolution and others viewing it as contrived and disconnected from the preceding events. |