Review

Danish Journalist Investigates a Questionable Death in ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’

Do you believe in conspiracy theories?

By H. Nelson Tracey|August 20, 2019

COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD (2019)

Starring Mads Brügger, Göran Björkdahl, Dag Hammarskjöld

Directed by Mads Brügger

Distributed by Magnolia Pictures. 128 minutes. Now playing at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Los Angeles and Laemmle Monica Film Center.

 

I can be swayed to watch a movie based on subtle, powerful clues that I feel is worth putting on my radar. Last month, after at least 20 minutes of debating what to stream on Netflix paired against my bottomless “to-see” lists (yes, lists is plural), I dropped that futility and started Kelly Reichardt’s Night Moves based solely on the logline, and it was well worth its time. My interest in Aquarela, released last week, had more to do with its potential of groundbreaking material, once again based on loose clues from the outside. It is rare, but sometimes, like in the days of old, simply seeing a poster can sell me on a movie. And with Cold Case Hammarskjöld, just seeing the movie poster sold me. Take a look for yourself:

True crime has given documentary new life as being equally (if not more) compelling than any thriller written by a screenwriter. Cold Case Hammarskjöld (pronounced Hammer-Scold) follows Danish director Mads Brügger as he and investigator Göran Björkdahl attempt to investigate a long-dormant case: the mysterious death of UN General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld in a plane crash in 1961. The event happened in the Congo and quickly ruled an accident. Hammarskjöld’s controversial support of African autonomy from their previous colonial powers and outside forces (including but not limited to the UK and the US), combined with some sketchy handling of the situation at the time, indicate this may have been more than an accident. In a chillingly unbelievable yet undoubtedly real piece of archival, it is President Kennedy who expresses his sympathy for the unexpected death of this leader – imagine how that plays knowing what became of Kennedy 2 years later.
You can imagine that this story ends up unearthing some shocking material, and you’d be correct. The unfolding narrative plays out with elements reminiscent of The Keepers, or even The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Brügger knows how to draw in his audience. He begins with some breaking the fourth wall components that work as a series of hooks that require us to sit up and pay attention, as the information in the film is densely layered. Like Werner Herzog, Brügger becomes an onscreen persona, leaning into the subtle comedy of his European mannerisms contrasted with the foreign atmosphere of Central and Southern Africa, though by no means pandering to their differences. Part of Brügger’s strength that is visible onscreen is that he is willing to listen. He diligently follows any possible lead, as well as captures it on camera. The film includes original footage from 6 years of research! 

The research enthusiast in me is inspired by the tenacity in finding a story very well hidden, and dormant for over 50 years. The film enthusiast in me is inspired by how well crafted a story about such research is so well compiled. It’s a dense project, as you can imagine, and at times it doesn’t slow down for the viewer to keep up with the names of subjects and conspirators. Ultimately, though, it’s worth your time to focus and keep up with every step of the way. The role Brügger plays pays off as we get a front-row seat to the challenges and frustrations of researching such a challenging story. Not every lead is successful; the film wisely includes some false trails so that we never know if a particular moment will be fruitful or futile. 

The culminating film is a masterful and compelling story that has larger and deeper implications that are endlessly debatable. On top of being a well-executed murder mystery and deftly told research thriller, we are left with revelations about the African continent and world events that are hard to shake. I’ll leave viewers to see for themselves what these are. Suffice to say, Cold Case Hammarskjöld is one of the best documentaries of the year to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrUkRs8wDo0

H. Nelson Tracey

Nelson is a film director and editor from Denver based in Los Angeles. In addition to writing for Cinemacy, he has worked on multiple high profile documentaries and curates the YouTube channel "Hint of Film." You can check out more of his work at his website, hnelsontracey.com