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4.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. København, Kalundborg og - ? remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you have a soft spot for grainy, black-and-white Danish cinema from way back when, you might get a kick out of this. If you need a movie that makes perfect sense or has a pacing that doesn't feel like it’s skipping rope with your patience, look elsewhere. It’s light, it’s silly, and it definitely feels like it was filmed on a Tuesday afternoon when everyone involved was having a decent enough time.
The whole thing has this frantic, stagey energy that reminds me a bit of the slapstick you’d find in something like The Dentist. Except, you know, with more trains and less dental drills. Ib Schønberg is doing his usual thing, and honestly, the man could probably read a phone book and make it feel like a dramatic monologue.
It’s not trying to be the next Shame. It’s just trying to be a distraction. Does it succeed? Sort of. It’s mostly just a collection of scenes where people walk into rooms, look flustered, and then walk out again. Very relatable.
I caught myself wondering why they bothered with certain side characters. One guy shows up, creates a minor scene, and then just vanishes into the ether. It’s like the writers forgot he existed mid-sentence. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just a weird one.
It’s a bit like watching a home movie that accidentally got a budget. If you go in expecting a masterwork, you’re gonna have a bad day. If you go in expecting to see some classic Danish actors goofing around, you’ll probably be fine. 🚂💨
The lighting in the train sequence is honestly kind of impressive for the time. Everything else? It’s just fluff. But sometimes, you need a little bit of fluff.