Flame & Citron (Flammen og Citronen)
The film Flame & Citron (Flammen og Citronen) is the based on the true story of two Danish resistance fighters who liquidate Nazi informers during World War II. The ever-amazing Mads Mikkelsen plays Citronen (Citron or Lemon) to Thure Lindhardt's Flammen (Flame), most recently seen in the love-it-or-hate-it movie Dan Brown/Tom Hanks/Ron Howard film Angels & Demons.
I'm not sure you're aware of this, but the Danes are under the uneasy impression that the world thinks they've somehow failed to do enough to fight evil Nazism during WWII. Crazy, Danes. I have a theory about this.
Danes are the epitome of stoicism. They are creative, sensitive, deep-thinking, highly educated, genetically beautiful creatures with a tendency to appear unemotional in times when everyone else is freaking the hell out. Appearances can be deceiving: this logic in tempering their emotionality, essentially the art of quiet disconnect, is what provides the so-inclined stoic a clear mind for judgment and a inner calm. And it's this standoffish nature of the Danish culture that makes them feel that maybe this movie will clear things up, explain away any residual doubts about Denmark's resistance to Hitler's Secret Service.
To the Danes I say this:
So sweet of you to make this film to share your true story. We all know you're not Nazi sympathizers, in fact spending more than 45 million kroner -- a blockbuster sum -- to convince us of this is heartening. Thanks! It's a brutally lovely flick! Plus Mads is in it, and I'll watch that boy in anything at all. ANYTHING. AT. ALL. But please understand that we love your unaffected, surface-cold temperaments and disturbingly talented (albeit oft cheesy and indifferent) culture. We do. It's what makes the Danes, you know...Danish.
So, embrace your genetically ingrained shoulder-shrugging attitude and please, and please do continue to exploit it in great films, music, literature, and art. It's who you are, and we love you for it. Also, make sure Mads Mikkelsen is featured as much as possible. In advance, tak!
