“…goes beyond malevolence into the monstrous. Never before have a man and woman inflicted more pain upon each other in a movie. We looked in disbelief.” … “Whether this is a bad, good or great film is entirely beside the point. It is an audacious spit in the eye of society. It says we harbor an undreamed-of capacity for evil. It transforms a psychological treatment into torture undreamed of in the dungeons of history. Torturers might have been capable of such actions, but they would have lacked the imagination. Von Trier is not so much making a film about violence as making a film to inflict violence upon us, perhaps as a salutary experience. It’s been reported that he suffered from depression during and after the film. You can tell. This is the most despairing film I’ve ever have seen.”
Don't see how it's a gimmick. Lars Von Trier's a fairly renowned filmmaker, it's not like he's making the next "Saw" or "Hostel." And from what I can gather, his most recent film (which this thread's about) "Antichrist" seems to be pretty personal and may have some sort of message to it. Add to that that the first reviews have been pretty polarizing and it shouldn't be hard to see why this film piques one's interest.
Actually, it is just like "Saw". It's a film that's so caught up in itself, that it thinks that it's something amazing. And yet it's another "Oh yeah, we did that" movie.
Yeah, honestly. You just found out about this movie when I created this topic a couple nights ago, yet you have such a strong negative reaction based on... what exactly?
Not good, but again, this makes me want to see it all the more so I can form my own opinion on it.
Yeah, think she is a wonderful actress, like her music too.
The actual film didn't get booed, it was the very end that got the boos and groans when a dedication came up on the screen at the end for the wonderful film director Andrei Tarkovsky. His film Mirror was one influence on Lars von Trier's Antichrist.
Charlotte Gainsbourg won the Prix d'interprétation féminine/Best Actress award at this years Cannes Film Festival for her role in Antichrist! so look forwards to seeing her in it even more.
The people at the Cannes festival supposedly had a lot of walkouts on Irreversible, and that was still a great movie. I wouldn't let the reception there dictate your opinion of the movie.
Oo just read this, the BBFC has rated it 18 here in Britain with absolutely no cuts.
Information here on their thoughts(It has a few spoilers in on what the disturbing acts are in the film, but it's an interesting read to see how our film system works here in Britain, and how they choose a 15 or 18 and so on for a film).
"ANTICHRIST is an English language drama from director Lars von Trier. It tells the story of a couple trying to come to terms with the death of their young son. After the mother experiences a mental breakdown, they retreat to an isolated cabin in the woods where the child's father, a therapist, hopes to help the mother to confront her fears. The film was classified '18' for strong real sex, bloody violence and self-mutilation.
At '18', the BBFC's Guidelines state that the more explicit images of sexual activity are unlikely to be permitted unless they can be exceptionally justified by context and the work is not a 'sex work'. A 'sex work' is defined as a work whose 'primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation'. It is clear that ANTICHRIST is not a 'sex work' but a serious drama exploring issues such as grief, loss, guilt and fear. The brief images of explicit real sex (sight of a penis penetrating a vagina during a consensual sex scene and sight of the man's penis being masturbated to climax) are exceptionally justified, in this context, by the manner in which they illustrate the film's themes and the nature of the couple's relationship. Their relationship is depicted throughout in a graphic and unflinching fashion, both psychologically and physically. The BBFC has permitted comparable explicit images in a number of previous features at the '18' level (eg L'EMPIRE DES SENS, 9 SONGS, SHORTBUS and Lars von Trier's earlier film, THE IDIOTS) where it has been clear that the purpose of the work - and the individual images in question - is not simply to arouse viewers but to illustrate characters, relationships and themes.
ANTICHRIST also contains two scenes showing violence towards genitals or genital mutilation. In one case, the man's genitals are hit heavily (although this is not shown on screen), resulting in sight of blood in his semen when he ejaculates. In the other case, the distraught woman cuts off her own clitoris using a pair of scissors. This act of self-mutilation is shown in close up, although the image is only on screen for a few seconds. The shot in question exceeds the BBFC's Guidelines at '15', where 'the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable' and where 'violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury'. Even at '18' the BBFC recognises that the scene will be shocking and offensive to some viewers. However, the Board is aware of no evidence to suggest that the viewing of this scene is likely to be harmful to adults. The scene is not presented in an eroticised or attractive manner and is not likely to encourage emulation or arousal. Accordingly, the scene is acceptable at '18' where, in line with the consistent findings of the BBFC's public consultations, the BBFC's Guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be free to chose their own entertainment, within the law.
The film contains other examples of strong violence, including a scene in which the woman drills a hole through the man’s leg with a bit and brace before bolting a large grindstone to the injured limb. Once again, although the scene exceeds the rubric of the '15' Guidelines, it was not felt to be harmful to adult viewers. The film also contains scenes of strong simulated sex, including female masturbation. These scenes exceed the '15' Guideline test that 'Sexual activity may be portrayed but without strong detail' but are acceptable at the '18' level.
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May 18th, 2009 05:43 AM
