Flame & Citron
Encyclopedia
Flame & Citron is a 2008 Danish
drama
/action
co-written and directed by Ole Christian Madsen
. The film, a fictionalized account based on fact, is about two Danish resistance movement
fighters during the Nazi occupation of Denmark
.
during World War II
- Bent Faurschou-Hviid
(known as Flammen, played by Thure Lindhardt
) and Jørgen Haagen Schmith
(known as Citron, played by Mads Mikkelsen
), who both died toward the end of the war. As the two friends assassinate
high-ranking Nazis and their Danish collaborators, they also find themselves in deadly duels with treacherous handlers, competing resistance groups, and a femme fatale
(played by Stine Stengade
) who might be a double
(or even triple) agent. Ultimately, they find that they can only trust one another.
for Lemon
) got his nickname because, while working for the Citroën
motor-car company in Copenhagen
, he sabotaged German
cars and trucks. The Citroën car company's name, a company founded by André-Gustave Citroën, is derived from the Dutch for lemon - citroen. The Citroën family name was originally Citroen but when the family moved from Amsterdam
to Paris
, in the late 19th century, the spelling was changed by adding a trema diaeresis to make the name appear more French.
in Potsdam-Babelsberg
, Germany
, and large parts of the film were also recorded at locations in Copenhagen and Prague
. With a budget of more than 46 million Danish kroner (or 6.16 million Euro
s), the movie is one of the most expensive Danish language
movies ever.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
/action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
co-written and directed by Ole Christian Madsen
Ole Christian Madsen
Ole Christian Madsen is a Danish film director and script writer, responsible for several movies and TV series that has achieved success in Denmark. Among the most successful projects are the movies Flammen og Citronen, Prague, Nordkraft and the TV series Rejseholdet and Edderkoppen...
. The film, a fictionalized account based on fact, is about two Danish resistance movement
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
fighters during the Nazi occupation of Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
.
Plot
Set in between 1943 and 1944, the film is loosely based on actual events involving two of the most active fighters in the Holger Danske resistance groupHolger Danske (resistance group)
Holger Danske was a Danish resistance group during World War II. It was created by veteran volunteers from the Winter War who had fought on the Finnish side against the Soviet Union. It was among the largest resistance groups and consisted of around 350 volunteers towards the end of the war...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Bent Faurschou-Hviid
Bent Faurschou-Hviid
Bent Faurschou-Hviid was a member of the Danish resistance group Holger Danske during World War II. His red hair quickly gave him the nickname "Flammen" meaning "The Flame"....
(known as Flammen, played by Thure Lindhardt
Thure Lindhardt
Thure Lindhardt is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theater in 1998....
) and Jørgen Haagen Schmith
Jørgen Haagen Schmith
Jørgen Haagen Schmith , better known under the codename Citron, was a fighter in the Danish resistance movement during the German Occupation of Denmark of 1940-45....
(known as Citron, played by Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen
' is a Danish actor.-Life and career:Mikkelsen was born in the Østerbro area of Copenhagen, the son of Bente Christiansen and Henning Mikkelsen, a cab driver. He is the brother of actor Lars Mikkelsen. After attending Århus Theatre School, he made his film debut in the movie Pusher...
), who both died toward the end of the war. As the two friends assassinate
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
high-ranking Nazis and their Danish collaborators, they also find themselves in deadly duels with treacherous handlers, competing resistance groups, and a femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
(played by Stine Stengade
Stine Stengade
Stine Stengade is a Danish actress best known for her leading role in the 2001 Dogme 95 film Kira's Reason: A Love Story .-Biography:...
) who might be a double
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
(or even triple) agent. Ultimately, they find that they can only trust one another.
Title
The movie is named from the nicknames of the two main characters. Flammen refers to the colour of Bent Faurschou-Hviid's copper red hair, after a failed attempt to dye it blond. Citron (DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
for Lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
) got his nickname because, while working for the Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
motor-car company in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, he sabotaged German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
cars and trucks. The Citroën car company's name, a company founded by André-Gustave Citroën, is derived from the Dutch for lemon - citroen. The Citroën family name was originally Citroen but when the family moved from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, in the late 19th century, the spelling was changed by adding a trema diaeresis to make the name appear more French.
Production
Filming took place at the Babelsberg StudiosBabelsberg Studios
The Studio Babelsberg, located in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany, is the oldest large-scale film studio in the world. Founded in 1912, it covers an area of about . Hundreds of films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis and Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel were filmed there...
in Potsdam-Babelsberg
Potsdam-Babelsberg
Babelsberg is the largest district of the Brandenburg capital Potsdam in Germany. The affluent neighbourhood named after a small hill on the Havel river is famous for Babelsberg Palace and Park, part of the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as for Studio...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and large parts of the film were also recorded at locations in Copenhagen and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. With a budget of more than 46 million Danish kroner (or 6.16 million Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s), the movie is one of the most expensive Danish language
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
movies ever.