Lars Von Trier is the master of creating beautifully tragic scenes and moving visual pieces of art.... only to be matched by David Lynch.... granted, his films are not for everyone.... this one especially.... this one has pushed his boundries to a near breaking point.... but he still walks a fine line.... this is classified as a horror film, but it's more than that.... it has elements of a supernatural horror film.... a stalker/slasher film.... but in a lot of ways, it's just the study of a couple dealing with the tragic loss of a child.... it's just an extreme example of how someone might deal with it.... very extreme.... i don't know that i can put into words what this movie is.... or was.... or even what i saw.... i can't sum it up into a simple string of sentences.... it's like when i saw 'Dancer in the Dark'.... it moved me so deeply.... and it was beyond description.... or 'Dogville'.... such a unique movie with a unique vision that needs to be seen to be understood.... but i digress.... this movie starts with one of the most amazing opening scenes ever filmed.... where the couple is wrapped up in their own lovemaking that they don't notice that the window of their apartment has blown open.... they live about 6 stories up or more and their son is not asleep.... he soon gets out of his crib.... past the baby gate and up on the desk in front of the window.... where he proceeds to slip and fall to his death... unable to deal with her grief, the wife breaksdown.... her husband, a therapist, begins treating her.... which is against everyones better judgement.... soon they decide to face her fears and head to a cabin in the woods where the movie just plummets off the deep end into insanity....
it's strange, but in this movie.... there really isn't anyone but the couple and their son.... i can't think of one other person you see throughout the film.... it's really a meditation on their lives.... it's graphic, it's brutal, it's extremely sexual.... it's unlike any movie i've seen in a while.... i still can't say that i've made my mind up about it.... as i only gave it 3 out of 5 stars.... mostly due to the ending being a little vague.... but maybe that was the point....? i really think it deserves far more stars for it's shear creativity and boldness in filmaking.... it's unlike anything you'll see this year.... give it a shot.... but you have been warned, it's not for the weak and it's not for a large segment of the population.... this is a study in film appreciation.
some other Lars Von Trier movies i recommend: 'Dancer in the Dark', 'Dogville' and 'Manderlay'
No comments:
Post a Comment