A statement just issued by director Lars Von Trier:
Today at 2 pm I was questioned by the Police of North Zealand in connection with charges made by the prosecution of Grasse in France from August 2011 regarding a possible violation of prohibition in French law against justification of war crimes. The investigation covers comments made during the press conference in Cannes in May 2011. Due to these serious accusations I have realized that I do not possess the skills to express myself unequivocally and I have therefore decided from this day forth to refrain from all public statements and interviews.
So one has to wonder, given Von Trier’s obscure sense of humor, whether this is a serious statement — it sounds serious.
Either way, there are some untouchable things — the Holocaust is at the top of that list. It’s a shame that Von Trier’s best film to date, Melancholia, has to be tossed under the bus as a result of flippant, dumb statements he made for shock value. One’s instinct might be to say “people need to get over it.” What do you think?
@Noah R. – This is exactly what I meant. People think too much in black and white. And sorry to burst your bubble, but a person’s life can be appalling AND have the suffering be worth it if in their lives they’ve come to terms with the horrific nature of what happened to them and find some small bit of happiness. I know women who have grown up in physically and sexually abusive households that have said that they wouldn’t change their lives if they had the choice because it shaped who they had become as strong independent and moral people. Does it lessen what happened and make it less vile and disgusting? No. Some good can come out of something horrific if you have the will to find it. Humans are complicated, not one dimensional characatures.
@Noah R. – This is exactly what I meant. People think too much in black and white. And sorry to burst your bubble, but a person’s life can be appalling AND have the suffering be worth it if in their lives they’ve come to terms with the horrific nature of what happened to them and find some small bit of happiness. I know women who have grown up in physically and sexually abusive households that have said that they wouldn’t change their lives if they had the choice because it shaped who they had become as strong independent and moral people. Does it lessen what happened and make it less vile and disgusting? No. Some good can come out of something horrific if you have the will to find it. Humans are complicated, not one dimensional characatures.
Glad I’m not the only one who thinks Breaking the Waves is vile, mean-spirited, idiotic trash. I don’t care how great Emily Watson is, it’s the worst thing von Trier has done by a mile. So it’s all right to rape and abuse a child-woman because she’s going to get her reward in Heaven and save her crippled husband? Are you fucking kidding me!? And don’t tell me the last shot was meant to be ambiguous. BULLSHIT. You can’t have it both ways, Lars. Either her life was appalling or her suffering was worth it. Ugh, it’s only 10AM and already I want to be sick.
Glad I’m not the only one who thinks Breaking the Waves is vile, mean-spirited, idiotic trash. I don’t care how great Emily Watson is, it’s the worst thing von Trier has done by a mile. So it’s all right to rape and abuse a child-woman because she’s going to get her reward in Heaven and save her crippled husband? Are you fucking kidding me!? And don’t tell me the last shot was meant to be ambiguous. BULLSHIT. You can’t have it both ways, Lars. Either her life was appalling or her suffering was worth it. Ugh, it’s only 10AM and already I want to be sick.
Max G: I hope you are kidding?? But I cannot tell, for sure. If you are not, that is the most absurd piece of nonsense I have read in quite some time…
Max G: I hope you are kidding?? But I cannot tell, for sure. If you are not, that is the most absurd piece of nonsense I have read in quite some time…
Max G: I really hope you´re being ironic because if not I as a German citizen myself have to say that I wholeheartedly disagree with everything you wrote. And to be honest: If you´re not being ironic it is YOUR opinion that I as a German am ashamed of …
And about the von Trier film discussion: I still haven´t seen “Breaking the Waves” or “Antichrist”, but I was very impressed by “Dancer in the Dark”, “Dogville” and Manderlay. But by far his best film I´ve seen yet is
his short film “Occupations”. *g*
Max G: I really hope you´re being ironic because if not I as a German citizen myself have to say that I wholeheartedly disagree with everything you wrote. And to be honest: If you´re not being ironic it is YOUR opinion that I as a German am ashamed of …
And about the von Trier film discussion: I still haven´t seen “Breaking the Waves” or “Antichrist”, but I was very impressed by “Dancer in the Dark”, “Dogville” and Manderlay. But by far his best film I´ve seen yet is
his short film “Occupations”. *g*
“Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen.”
IMO, his best and and in my 50 best list of all times, fr so may reason that I can’t even began to write here, because is not the proper place.
About his “nazi” remarks let’s face it:
Lars drink tot much of the wild rebel “cool” liquor, to the let’s “épater les bourgeouis” (meaning the journalists at the Cannes press conference). His intentions with the the Hitler statement was to shock, to provocate a deliberate controversy, not to celebrate that disguting genocide. Somewhere during the seconds, and the few minutes his is speaking (please, see the vídeo), he lost his track, thinsg gotta out of control, We can read that at his eyes while Von Trier is on the microfone. No doubt it was a dumb and insensitive act.
But the key point to me here, is that he must be questioned for being so frivolous with such serious subject, not that for a real liason with nazism, as I detect in some discusssions about all that.
Since the incident I read and talk to a bunch of people (not here in “AD”, in my country) that said he is trying to fix the things right after all the buzz aganinst him, and the movies from the artista “proves” his nazi feelings. B******t, that is preposterous. Some aspects and subtexts of Von Trier work, are far from being civilized, like the “vendeta” feelings from “Dogville”, but all his ethics and aestethics are the complete opposite of the national-socialism view of the world, ideal of art.
Picture this (and if someone wans to make from that, a short feature fill with deeply sarcastic black humour, hire me as the writer):
Hitler is alive and we are livingt he horrors of his actions. In a European courtny not completely (France is out of the question) affected by WW2, a danish filmmaker called Lars Von Trier said in a press conference that he “understands Hitler”. All over the world people get this information as he likes Hitler and he supports nazism.
Joseph Goebbels, who in the cinema área, besides all the atrocities he did, could be the movie described as the oficial movie mogul of the Third Reich, gets curious: “Well from what people tell me about his movies, I could never think of him as one of “us”. I want to see some of his stuff”. He see, let’s say… the trailers from “The Idiots” and “Dancer in the Dark”, and some of the scennes of both flicks.
Huge close-up in Goebbels face, with no cuts, as his is watching… “What??? What the fuck is that?? Why the camera is shaking so much in these films, they didin’ have Money to buy a tripod? Why these mental disabled people are walking and talking with normal people on broad daylight. HELL, they are F……..!!! They can procriate!!! OMG, THEY DIDN”T HAVE MENTAL ISSUES. They are faking it to mock middle class people! Someone stop them! And these blind girl, what is she doing, STOP, STOP THAT. Let’s hunt and kill this degenerate asinine danish beast!!! And burn as much as he can trace of copies of these movies; He can’t be left out of here, comiting committing crime of false ideological representation, simulating that it he embraces our cause. He must be a spy working for the Resistance, to discrediting National-Socialism with phony compliments that are disguised to amuse some confused people”.
A world class travelling begin from Goebbels face, geting us spectators to the projector’s cabin. Inside the man, with a face that looks a melting between Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein and Quentin Taratino one’s, is laughing his ass off with old Joseph despair. He has a can of gasoline and a torch in his hands, and a perfect escape route on the mind”.
THE END
“Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen.”
IMO, his best and and in my 50 best list of all times, fr so may reason that I can’t even began to write here, because is not the proper place.
About his “nazi” remarks let’s face it:
Lars drink tot much of the wild rebel “cool” liquor, to the let’s “épater les bourgeouis” (meaning the journalists at the Cannes press conference). His intentions with the the Hitler statement was to shock, to provocate a deliberate controversy, not to celebrate that disguting genocide. Somewhere during the seconds, and the few minutes his is speaking (please, see the vídeo), he lost his track, thinsg gotta out of control, We can read that at his eyes while Von Trier is on the microfone. No doubt it was a dumb and insensitive act.
But the key point to me here, is that he must be questioned for being so frivolous with such serious subject, not that for a real liason with nazism, as I detect in some discusssions about all that.
Since the incident I read and talk to a bunch of people (not here in “AD”, in my country) that said he is trying to fix the things right after all the buzz aganinst him, and the movies from the artista “proves” his nazi feelings. B******t, that is preposterous. Some aspects and subtexts of Von Trier work, are far from being civilized, like the “vendeta” feelings from “Dogville”, but all his ethics and aestethics are the complete opposite of the national-socialism view of the world, ideal of art.
Picture this (and if someone wans to make from that, a short feature fill with deeply sarcastic black humour, hire me as the writer):
Hitler is alive and we are livingt he horrors of his actions. In a European courtny not completely (France is out of the question) affected by WW2, a danish filmmaker called Lars Von Trier said in a press conference that he “understands Hitler”. All over the world people get this information as he likes Hitler and he supports nazism.
Joseph Goebbels, who in the cinema área, besides all the atrocities he did, could be the movie described as the oficial movie mogul of the Third Reich, gets curious: “Well from what people tell me about his movies, I could never think of him as one of “us”. I want to see some of his stuff”. He see, let’s say… the trailers from “The Idiots” and “Dancer in the Dark”, and some of the scennes of both flicks.
Huge close-up in Goebbels face, with no cuts, as his is watching… “What??? What the fuck is that?? Why the camera is shaking so much in these films, they didin’ have Money to buy a tripod? Why these mental disabled people are walking and talking with normal people on broad daylight. HELL, they are F……..!!! They can procriate!!! OMG, THEY DIDN”T HAVE MENTAL ISSUES. They are faking it to mock middle class people! Someone stop them! And these blind girl, what is she doing, STOP, STOP THAT. Let’s hunt and kill this degenerate asinine danish beast!!! And burn as much as he can trace of copies of these movies; He can’t be left out of here, comiting committing crime of false ideological representation, simulating that it he embraces our cause. He must be a spy working for the Resistance, to discrediting National-Socialism with phony compliments that are disguised to amuse some confused people”.
A world class travelling begin from Goebbels face, geting us spectators to the projector’s cabin. Inside the man, with a face that looks a melting between Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein and Quentin Taratino one’s, is laughing his ass off with old Joseph despair. He has a can of gasoline and a torch in his hands, and a perfect escape route on the mind”.
THE END
I believe in free speech. I didn’t even know France was like that until the John Galliano thing. Too weird. If he’s serious, that sucks.
I believe in free speech. I didn’t even know France was like that until the John Galliano thing. Too weird. If he’s serious, that sucks.
See, the thing about free speech is that there are no untouchable things. Unfortunately for the hyper-sensitive, there’s a price for that freedom. Personally, I find it shocking that issue here is whether Von Trier was serious or not (a rhetorical and redundant question), and not these egregious “charges” laid against him for making a tongue-in-cheek statement (in poor taste, no doubt) about sympathizing with Hitler. And now it’s somehow become Von Trier’s fault that the public refuse to let this go. It’s absolutely pathetic.
See, the thing about free speech is that there are no untouchable things. Unfortunately for the hyper-sensitive, there’s a price for that freedom. Personally, I find it shocking that issue here is whether Von Trier was serious or not (a rhetorical and redundant question), and not these egregious “charges” laid against him for making a tongue-in-cheek statement (in poor taste, no doubt) about sympathizing with Hitler. And now it’s somehow become Von Trier’s fault that the public refuse to let this go. It’s absolutely pathetic.
Pretty ashamed of my home country right now. What a ridiculous mess. All the people who have actually seen the footage know it wasn’t revisionist statement (and I would happily meet any French lawyers who could convince a judge that what he said falls within the definition of a revisionist statement. Good luck with that). It’s LVT, he can be provocative and challenging, he doesn’t like press conferences, talked in a different language and tried to convey a valid point in a very unfortunate way, digging his hole deeper and deeper without anybody around him trying to help me. What’s the point of still making a fuss about it six months after? It is just ludicrous. And I love the irony considering actual French politics.. the burqa law, expulsion of Roms and sickening debate about national identity are fine but we should be appalled by his statement? If someone is leaning towards Hitler’s politics right now, Sarkozy and his government certainly know about it.
Pretty ashamed of my home country right now. What a ridiculous mess. All the people who have actually seen the footage know it wasn’t revisionist statement (and I would happily meet any French lawyers who could convince a judge that what he said falls within the definition of a revisionist statement. Good luck with that). It’s LVT, he can be provocative and challenging, he doesn’t like press conferences, talked in a different language and tried to convey a valid point in a very unfortunate way, digging his hole deeper and deeper without anybody around him trying to help me. What’s the point of still making a fuss about it six months after? It is just ludicrous. And I love the irony considering actual French politics.. the burqa law, expulsion of Roms and sickening debate about national identity are fine but we should be appalled by his statement? If someone is leaning towards Hitler’s politics right now, Sarkozy and his government certainly know about it.
Get over it.
I don’t think 95% of people even saw the q&a where lars made these comments.
If you watch it, you see its a mangled attempt at a joke in a language he doesn’t normally speak.
I’d pretty much consider him my favorite filmmaker working today.
Dancer in the dark is my favorite film of the last decade.
Dogville ranks in my top 5.
Breaking the waves and antichrist in top 15.
This doesn’t even include Europa, the element of crime, epidemic, the idiots, madea, and manderlay – all which I find brilliant.
Sometimes people say off the cuff remarks, sometimes people screw up.
This shouldn’t mean that this persons work should be destroyed.
After the Mel Gibson mess, people weren’t saying braveheart sucked.
Lars von trier is a brilliant filmmaker. You don’t have to like him to know that.
I’m seeing Melancholia on Friday at the Chicago film fest and I cannot wait.
I just hope kirsten Dunst doesn’t suffer because of all this, she’s rumored to be Oscar caliber.
Get over it.
I don’t think 95% of people even saw the q&a where lars made these comments.
If you watch it, you see its a mangled attempt at a joke in a language he doesn’t normally speak.
I’d pretty much consider him my favorite filmmaker working today.
Dancer in the dark is my favorite film of the last decade.
Dogville ranks in my top 5.
Breaking the waves and antichrist in top 15.
This doesn’t even include Europa, the element of crime, epidemic, the idiots, madea, and manderlay – all which I find brilliant.
Sometimes people say off the cuff remarks, sometimes people screw up.
This shouldn’t mean that this persons work should be destroyed.
After the Mel Gibson mess, people weren’t saying braveheart sucked.
Lars von trier is a brilliant filmmaker. You don’t have to like him to know that.
I’m seeing Melancholia on Friday at the Chicago film fest and I cannot wait.
I just hope kirsten Dunst doesn’t suffer because of all this, she’s rumored to be Oscar caliber.
I exaggerated, I think most Americans want to abolish death penalty and are ok with abortion.
Point taken, though, Tero.
The USA is one of the few remaining places in the Western World that kills people for breaking laws. And the USA is where the most radical anti-abortionists want to make abortion illegal. The USA is where you find more people like Sam.
I exaggerated, I think most Americans want to abolish death penalty and are ok with abortion.
Point taken, though, Tero.
The USA is one of the few remaining places in the Western World that kills people for breaking laws. And the USA is where the most radical anti-abortionists want to make abortion illegal. The USA is where you find more people like Sam.
Oui, mon général. The French overreacted, for sure.
“It takes a certain kind of (non)logic to protest the death penalty, but support a law that allows women to terminate their unborn children.”
This is where the rest of the Western world disagrees with USA.
Oui, mon général. The French overreacted, for sure.
“It takes a certain kind of (non)logic to protest the death penalty, but support a law that allows women to terminate their unborn children.”
This is where the rest of the Western world disagrees with USA.
There’s free speech and there’s free responsible speech. There’s also contextualizing and there’s also hate mongering. I don’t think LVT was doing the latter, but I think he was careless with his words. The dangers of unchecked free speech is that violence against another human being(s) can erupt–just look at what happened in Rwanda, as an extreme example.
There’s free speech and there’s free responsible speech. There’s also contextualizing and there’s also hate mongering. I don’t think LVT was doing the latter, but I think he was careless with his words. The dangers of unchecked free speech is that violence against another human being(s) can erupt–just look at what happened in Rwanda, as an extreme example.
See, this is why I am glad that I live in the United States of America. I think Von Trier is an imbecile, but to press charges against him is nonsense. But it did happen in another country, and not in the U.S.
“meanwhile, France, land of ‘get that damned burqa off your face’ & USA, land of legalized execution murder.”
1. I think it is reasonable for France to ask their fellow female Muslim citizens to remove their burqas when receiving an identification card. Assimilation is important.
2. It takes a certain kind of (non)logic to protest the death penalty, but support a law that allows women to terminate their unborn children.
See, this is why I am glad that I live in the United States of America. I think Von Trier is an imbecile, but to press charges against him is nonsense. But it did happen in another country, and not in the U.S.
“meanwhile, France, land of ‘get that damned burqa off your face’ & USA, land of legalized execution murder.”
1. I think it is reasonable for France to ask their fellow female Muslim citizens to remove their burqas when receiving an identification card. Assimilation is important.
2. It takes a certain kind of (non)logic to protest the death penalty, but support a law that allows women to terminate their unborn children.
“Y’know ruining someone’s life over a joke about Hitler is a pretty Hitler thing to do.”
That’s the quote of the day. So thumbs up to you, h!
“Y’know ruining someone’s life over a joke about Hitler is a pretty Hitler thing to do.”
That’s the quote of the day. So thumbs up to you, h!
JJ, I said certifed fresh, not fresh.
Also, I’m a big Von Trier fan. I’m just pointing out the film she said was terrible is his best reviewed film.
JJ, I said certifed fresh, not fresh.
Also, I’m a big Von Trier fan. I’m just pointing out the film she said was terrible is his best reviewed film.
I’m disappointed. von Trier is always guaranteed to generate debate, both in his work and in person.
Aint it strange how different people have such different opinions about each of his films? Each and every one of them is highly divisive. That’s perhaps due to the fact that he employs such different filming styles for each one. Breaking the Waves is his most acclaimed, but you don’t like it at all Sasha. Dancer in the Dark won the Palme d’Or, but Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian despises it intensely! Dogville and Manderlay both inspire heated debate, The Idiots is a Dogme staple but many find it extremely offensive and distasteful. Antichrist is, of course, abhorred by a lot of people, but respected by many too.
Am I the only one who loves all of the films I’ve ever seen of von Trier? Love love love them. At least 9/10, and some of his films are among my all-time favourites.
I’m disappointed. von Trier is always guaranteed to generate debate, both in his work and in person.
Aint it strange how different people have such different opinions about each of his films? Each and every one of them is highly divisive. That’s perhaps due to the fact that he employs such different filming styles for each one. Breaking the Waves is his most acclaimed, but you don’t like it at all Sasha. Dancer in the Dark won the Palme d’Or, but Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian despises it intensely! Dogville and Manderlay both inspire heated debate, The Idiots is a Dogme staple but many find it extremely offensive and distasteful. Antichrist is, of course, abhorred by a lot of people, but respected by many too.
Am I the only one who loves all of the films I’ve ever seen of von Trier? Love love love them. At least 9/10, and some of his films are among my all-time favourites.
He should have seen this coming. Guy couldn’t keep his mouth shut and now he will be even more messed up than before. I think he should just let his films speak for him anyways. They are more highly regarded than anything he has ever said.
He should have seen this coming. Guy couldn’t keep his mouth shut and now he will be even more messed up than before. I think he should just let his films speak for him anyways. They are more highly regarded than anything he has ever said.
Utterly ridiculous. If a comedian mentions the holocaust, he’s pushing boundaries. A musician? Poetic statement. Rapper? Edgy. The list goes on. Von Trier says something that, due to it not being his first language, comes across as offensive and he’s being crucified. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t secretly dress up as Hitler and frog-march around the house.
Utterly ridiculous. If a comedian mentions the holocaust, he’s pushing boundaries. A musician? Poetic statement. Rapper? Edgy. The list goes on. Von Trier says something that, due to it not being his first language, comes across as offensive and he’s being crucified. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t secretly dress up as Hitler and frog-march around the house.
I find it hard to fathom that people in this world have such a shallow and empty emotional range. It’s all black and white thinking with no in between allowed. All he was saying was that he felt he understood the man and his ways and nowhere in the statement did he say he agreed with them. The human mind is more complicated than what modern man tends to assume it is. Understanding the mind of people who are prejudicial and intolerant help us to move past our own biases and show us how not to act in the wake of intolerance. To replace fear and hatred with more understanding so we don’t wind up ruining the lives of others through misguided and immature views of what we don’t understand and find culturally familiar.
I find it hard to fathom that people in this world have such a shallow and empty emotional range. It’s all black and white thinking with no in between allowed. All he was saying was that he felt he understood the man and his ways and nowhere in the statement did he say he agreed with them. The human mind is more complicated than what modern man tends to assume it is. Understanding the mind of people who are prejudicial and intolerant help us to move past our own biases and show us how not to act in the wake of intolerance. To replace fear and hatred with more understanding so we don’t wind up ruining the lives of others through misguided and immature views of what we don’t understand and find culturally familiar.
I’m Danish, like Lars, and have met him several times.
He is an extremely intelligent, funny and surprisingly kind person.
His comments did not in the slightest reflect his true beliefs. He is politically quite left wing. He is in no way a fascist, in no way a racist and in absolutely no way a nazi.
He questions himself and the world around him at all given moments, and he is willing to look for answers, fears and doubts in corners of art and the human spirit that few of us dare to even consider the existence of.
But his comments were not thought through. They were quite stupid and very, very inconsiderate. He publicly said he was very sorry about this.
If he did not make this apology, I would consider him fair game for critics. But his apology was sincere.
It might be well advised that he refrain from statements about politics, religion or anything else not directly related to his film making methods in the future.
But if he turns into a closed book on his work in the future, film students, scholars and fans will be the real losers.
I’m Danish, like Lars, and have met him several times.
He is an extremely intelligent, funny and surprisingly kind person.
His comments did not in the slightest reflect his true beliefs. He is politically quite left wing. He is in no way a fascist, in no way a racist and in absolutely no way a nazi.
He questions himself and the world around him at all given moments, and he is willing to look for answers, fears and doubts in corners of art and the human spirit that few of us dare to even consider the existence of.
But his comments were not thought through. They were quite stupid and very, very inconsiderate. He publicly said he was very sorry about this.
If he did not make this apology, I would consider him fair game for critics. But his apology was sincere.
It might be well advised that he refrain from statements about politics, religion or anything else not directly related to his film making methods in the future.
But if he turns into a closed book on his work in the future, film students, scholars and fans will be the real losers.
“Thinking and talking it out, trying to understand, helped me cope with 9/11, helped me come to grips with it.”
Same for me and my closest friends at the time. Thank you so much for a truly insightful statement.
“Thinking and talking it out, trying to understand, helped me cope with 9/11, helped me come to grips with it.”
Same for me and my closest friends at the time. Thank you so much for a truly insightful statement.
I always try to separate the work from the auteur. His comments haven’t prevented me from enjoying “Dogville” or “Breaking the Waves”, both of which I saw for the first time recently. The only person I have making this disconnect with is Roman Polanski, if only because his films are very stark ripostes to the reputation he has garnered.
I always try to separate the work from the auteur. His comments haven’t prevented me from enjoying “Dogville” or “Breaking the Waves”, both of which I saw for the first time recently. The only person I have making this disconnect with is Roman Polanski, if only because his films are very stark ripostes to the reputation he has garnered.
“Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. Dogville? Please.”
Seriously? I’d say those are by far his two best films and would easily (and did, numerous times) place in top 10 lists of their respective decades. I hope calling “Breaking the Waves” one of the worst films you’ve ever seen was just a hyperbole to get a point across. “Melancholia” was pretty good but nowhere near those two.
“Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. Dogville? Please.”
Seriously? I’d say those are by far his two best films and would easily (and did, numerous times) place in top 10 lists of their respective decades. I hope calling “Breaking the Waves” one of the worst films you’ve ever seen was just a hyperbole to get a point across. “Melancholia” was pretty good but nowhere near those two.
Honestly, I don´t see my “dignity is hurt” if van Trier states at a Press Conference that he admires Hitler. Van Trier is a drama queen that loves to irritate people and create an amusing little scandal.
That said, as little as I will cry my eyes out about van Trier refusing interviews from now on, I´m very intrested in his new film – I will see it next week, and I have no problems to divide the person from his work.
Louis Ferdinand Celine said a lot of obnoxious things (in fact, he was an anti-Semite), but “Voyage au bout de la nuit” is still one the most impressive novels about World War I.
I don´t want to compare these persons, I just wanna say that some of the most intresting artists around are true assholes sometimes.
Honestly, I don´t see my “dignity is hurt” if van Trier states at a Press Conference that he admires Hitler. Van Trier is a drama queen that loves to irritate people and create an amusing little scandal.
That said, as little as I will cry my eyes out about van Trier refusing interviews from now on, I´m very intrested in his new film – I will see it next week, and I have no problems to divide the person from his work.
Louis Ferdinand Celine said a lot of obnoxious things (in fact, he was an anti-Semite), but “Voyage au bout de la nuit” is still one the most impressive novels about World War I.
I don´t want to compare these persons, I just wanna say that some of the most intresting artists around are true assholes sometimes.
I love DOGVILLE though. The difference between that film and BTW is the difference between a long, impassioned, bombastic sermon, and a hot wet loogie.
I love DOGVILLE though. The difference between that film and BTW is the difference between a long, impassioned, bombastic sermon, and a hot wet loogie.
Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen.
Oh my God, thank you for saying this. I just had one of those moments where you realize you’re not alone, after all. BREAKING THE WAVES is that rare thing: an extraordinary performance couched in a nasty, shoddy, evil film.
Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen.
Oh my God, thank you for saying this. I just had one of those moments where you realize you’re not alone, after all. BREAKING THE WAVES is that rare thing: an extraordinary performance couched in a nasty, shoddy, evil film.
Tom,
Do you even know what you’re talking about here? Von Trier wasn’t “joking” about Hitler. He basically just mangled the delivery on a subject he had addressed in an earlier interview. Basically he believes that the elements fascism/nazism are universal in human nature and can manifest in any culture given the right circumstances. He used his own cultural heritage as an illustrative tool as a sort of joke, growing up thinking he was a Jew and then finding out his real father was of German descent.
Von Trier is by all accounts an asshole and an idiot, but there’s nothing in his life or his work that would suggest he hates Jews or holds fascist beliefs. He might be a bit of a misogynist at times, but no more of a misogynist than Michael Bay or Zach Snyder.
Tom,
Do you even know what you’re talking about here? Von Trier wasn’t “joking” about Hitler. He basically just mangled the delivery on a subject he had addressed in an earlier interview. Basically he believes that the elements fascism/nazism are universal in human nature and can manifest in any culture given the right circumstances. He used his own cultural heritage as an illustrative tool as a sort of joke, growing up thinking he was a Jew and then finding out his real father was of German descent.
Von Trier is by all accounts an asshole and an idiot, but there’s nothing in his life or his work that would suggest he hates Jews or holds fascist beliefs. He might be a bit of a misogynist at times, but no more of a misogynist than Michael Bay or Zach Snyder.
As a german citizen myself I think Mr von Trier has no right whatsoever to make a statement like the one he did back in May. I think in a way, people need to be a lot more “relaxed” on the topic. Especially here in my country, where even the slightest reference to the holocaust (in any relation) will not stay uncommented.
We need to get less irritable on the topic and come to the conclusion, that Germany in the 21st Century is more distant from the Holocaust than any other country. In the German Constitution it reads: “The dignity of man is inviolable”. We’re over the shame. We regretted enough.
But it is still a topic never to be positively talked about. And our dignity is hurt, when we see someone like Mr von Trier talking the way he did in Cannes. Based on that I personally think Mr von Trier’s decision to refrian from all public statements is not enough action to compensate what he said. I demand Mr von Trier to step down from his position and not to direct any film from his thoughts and his opinion anymore for it is a pure and deep insult to Jewish and German history. Eclats like those put obstacles on our road to full recovery. And that is not to be tolerated.
As a german citizen myself I think Mr von Trier has no right whatsoever to make a statement like the one he did back in May. I think in a way, people need to be a lot more “relaxed” on the topic. Especially here in my country, where even the slightest reference to the holocaust (in any relation) will not stay uncommented.
We need to get less irritable on the topic and come to the conclusion, that Germany in the 21st Century is more distant from the Holocaust than any other country. In the German Constitution it reads: “The dignity of man is inviolable”. We’re over the shame. We regretted enough.
But it is still a topic never to be positively talked about. And our dignity is hurt, when we see someone like Mr von Trier talking the way he did in Cannes. Based on that I personally think Mr von Trier’s decision to refrian from all public statements is not enough action to compensate what he said. I demand Mr von Trier to step down from his position and not to direct any film from his thoughts and his opinion anymore for it is a pure and deep insult to Jewish and German history. Eclats like those put obstacles on our road to full recovery. And that is not to be tolerated.
REALLY????! WTF????!!!! Are you fucking serious? Breaking the Waves is brilliant and Emily Watson is astonishing!
REALLY????! WTF????!!!! Are you fucking serious? Breaking the Waves is brilliant and Emily Watson is astonishing!
“Sasha, Breaking the Waves is jis only certified fresh film in RT”
Uh, do you have like a different website you look at? Breaking the Waves, Medea, Five Obstructions, Europa and Melancholia are all 80%+ on RT…
“Sasha, Breaking the Waves is jis only certified fresh film in RT”
Uh, do you have like a different website you look at? Breaking the Waves, Medea, Five Obstructions, Europa and Melancholia are all 80%+ on RT…
“I think von Trier is a fascinating filmmaker and an interesting personality, but there is no way I’m going to give him a free pass making cracks about Hitler.”
So you want him to get in legal trouble over it or ruin his future opportunities? People make jokes about Hitler all the time, he is probably the most joked about person. Y’know ruining someone’s life over a joke about Hitler is a pretty Hitler thing to do.
Y’know ruining someone’s life over a joke about Hitler is a pretty Hitler thing to do.
exactly.
meanwhile, France, land of ‘get that damned burqa off your face’ & USA, land of legalized execution murder.
“I think von Trier is a fascinating filmmaker and an interesting personality, but there is no way I’m going to give him a free pass making cracks about Hitler.”
So you want him to get in legal trouble over it or ruin his future opportunities? People make jokes about Hitler all the time, he is probably the most joked about person. Y’know ruining someone’s life over a joke about Hitler is a pretty Hitler thing to do.
Y’know ruining someone’s life over a joke about Hitler is a pretty Hitler thing to do.
exactly.
meanwhile, France, land of ‘get that damned burqa off your face’ & USA, land of legalized execution murder.
Yeah people need to get over that and move on.
Yeah people need to get over that and move on.
To quote Jim Emerson, is France now Iran?
To quote Jim Emerson, is France now Iran?
Sasha, Breaking the Waves is jis only certified fresh film in RT and, when it was released in 1996, his only to achieve a general consensus among critics to be a high quality film. The rest have been extremely divisive.
That said, Melancholia is my favorite as well.
Sasha, Breaking the Waves is jis only certified fresh film in RT and, when it was released in 1996, his only to achieve a general consensus among critics to be a high quality film. The rest have been extremely divisive.
That said, Melancholia is my favorite as well.
I think his words coming out of the mouth of, let’s say, a politician or a white supremacist would put things in a different context. Von Trier is also an attention-seeker. One size does not fit all. Does this change the fact that I think he’s an idiot? No. But, something tells me that some people displayed knee-jerk anger and disbelief at Von Trier as some kind of hallow outrage.
When September 11th happened, some people said we brought it on ourselves. Does that make them terrorists?
I think his words coming out of the mouth of, let’s say, a politician or a white supremacist would put things in a different context. Von Trier is also an attention-seeker. One size does not fit all. Does this change the fact that I think he’s an idiot? No. But, something tells me that some people displayed knee-jerk anger and disbelief at Von Trier as some kind of hallow outrage.
When September 11th happened, some people said we brought it on ourselves. Does that make them terrorists?
@Lenny
I’m with you, 100%. A lot of filmmakers are assholes – and so are a lot of politicians, doctors, lawyers, etc. Many can’t maintain control and keep their mouths shut or their pants zipped, but it doesn’t/shouldn’t reflect on their work, in most cases. Unless their work somehow promotes unacceptable behaviour, I say just hit the mute button when they make jerks of themselves publically.
While I wouldn’t put von Trier, Polanski, and Gibson on the same level, when I go to see their movies I’m not condoning their personal behaviour or entering a relationship with them.
@Lenny
I’m with you, 100%. A lot of filmmakers are assholes – and so are a lot of politicians, doctors, lawyers, etc. Many can’t maintain control and keep their mouths shut or their pants zipped, but it doesn’t/shouldn’t reflect on their work, in most cases. Unless their work somehow promotes unacceptable behaviour, I say just hit the mute button when they make jerks of themselves publically.
While I wouldn’t put von Trier, Polanski, and Gibson on the same level, when I go to see their movies I’m not condoning their personal behaviour or entering a relationship with them.
I think von Trier is a fascinating filmmaker and an interesting personality, but there is no way I’m going to give him a free pass making cracks about Hitler. Sasha, if he had said “I see where Osama bin Laden was coming from” you would not be saying that people need to get over it.
I do my best to separate the filmmaker from the film, which is why I was able to appreciate Passion of the Christ despite Mel Gibson’s antisemitism. But that doesn’t mean that von Trier can run his mouth like an idiot and expect to get a free pass. The issue isn’t that people need to get over it, it’s that von Trier needs to get over himself.
“I see where Osama bin Laden was coming from” you would not be saying that people need to get over it.
I do see where bin Laden was coming from. I see exactly where and think I understand how his insanity began. Thanks to giving it lots of thought, and not wanting to believe that EVIL is UNEXPLAINABLE! THE DEVIL MADE HIM DO IT! Thinking and talking it out, trying to understand, helped me cope with 9/11, helped me come to grips with it.
Like it or not, Hitler and bin Laden were tiny babies who shit their diapers at some stage before their brains went haywire. Once they were kids who laughed and played, just like the rest of us.
I think von Trier is a fascinating filmmaker and an interesting personality, but there is no way I’m going to give him a free pass making cracks about Hitler. Sasha, if he had said “I see where Osama bin Laden was coming from” you would not be saying that people need to get over it.
I do my best to separate the filmmaker from the film, which is why I was able to appreciate Passion of the Christ despite Mel Gibson’s antisemitism. But that doesn’t mean that von Trier can run his mouth like an idiot and expect to get a free pass. The issue isn’t that people need to get over it, it’s that von Trier needs to get over himself.
“I see where Osama bin Laden was coming from” you would not be saying that people need to get over it.
I do see where bin Laden was coming from. I see exactly where and think I understand how his insanity began. Thanks to giving it lots of thought, and not wanting to believe that EVIL is UNEXPLAINABLE! THE DEVIL MADE HIM DO IT! Thinking and talking it out, trying to understand, helped me cope with 9/11, helped me come to grips with it.
Like it or not, Hitler and bin Laden were tiny babies who shit their diapers at some stage before their brains went haywire. Once they were kids who laughed and played, just like the rest of us.
i wish we lived in a world where people who covered films would focus their attention more on the films and less on the celebrity of the filmmakers, especially when it comes to a person like Von Trier who’s a gifted artist but has a difficult time keeping his opinions to himself. Unfortunately, we will never live in a world where film and celebrity are viewed as separate entities. Film and celebrity will always be interchangeable and at the end of the day, someone as controversial and eccentric as Von Trier will always pay a steep price in terms of public relations. That, in turn, will influence how people view his body of work because they will always keep in mind the negative celebrity of the filmmaker and use it to place judgment on his work as opposed to holding the work separate from the celebrity.
i wish we lived in a world where people who covered films would focus their attention more on the films and less on the celebrity of the filmmakers, especially when it comes to a person like Von Trier who’s a gifted artist but has a difficult time keeping his opinions to himself. Unfortunately, we will never live in a world where film and celebrity are viewed as separate entities. Film and celebrity will always be interchangeable and at the end of the day, someone as controversial and eccentric as Von Trier will always pay a steep price in terms of public relations. That, in turn, will influence how people view his body of work because they will always keep in mind the negative celebrity of the filmmaker and use it to place judgment on his work as opposed to holding the work separate from the celebrity.
I have to disagree, I think Breaking the Waves is his best, followed closely by Dancer in the Dark. Antichrist and Melancolia are some of his worst. See, how opinions are different?
And I have seen all his early work, too.
I have to disagree, I think Breaking the Waves is his best, followed closely by Dancer in the Dark. Antichrist and Melancolia are some of his worst. See, how opinions are different?
And I have seen all his early work, too.
It´s not just him who´s weird. The people that take him too serious are the same. I think the people fear his openess. He says he´d understand Hitler… well, why not? For 66 years now people try to understand this horrible man. But at the end, i think, they don´t want to. They fear to discover their dark sides, but Von Trier isn´t… of course, eberybody knows since Antichrist.
He stated in a later interview that in everyone is a little Nazi. Don´t know. But the Holocaust happened. So let´s think about it.
So don´t take Von Trier too serious. He says what he thinks and he thinks a lot. And he thinks about himself. He has the courage to reflect even his darkest sides… Very few people can.
It´s not just him who´s weird. The people that take him too serious are the same. I think the people fear his openess. He says he´d understand Hitler… well, why not? For 66 years now people try to understand this horrible man. But at the end, i think, they don´t want to. They fear to discover their dark sides, but Von Trier isn´t… of course, eberybody knows since Antichrist.
He stated in a later interview that in everyone is a little Nazi. Don´t know. But the Holocaust happened. So let´s think about it.
So don´t take Von Trier too serious. He says what he thinks and he thinks a lot. And he thinks about himself. He has the courage to reflect even his darkest sides… Very few people can.
I really don’t want him to refrain from any interviews as I find him entertaining. Kind of nuts, no doubt. But…
I really don’t want him to refrain from any interviews as I find him entertaining. Kind of nuts, no doubt. But…
Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. Dogville? Please. Dancer in the Dark maybe. Manohla Dargis called it his best film…
Breaking the Waves is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. Dogville? Please. Dancer in the Dark maybe. Manohla Dargis called it his best film…
Who says Melancholiac is his best film? No critic I’ve read. Dogville? Breaking the Waves? Dancer in the Dark? Come on.
Who says Melancholiac is his best film? No critic I’ve read. Dogville? Breaking the Waves? Dancer in the Dark? Come on.
He’s a weird dude who says stupid crap – and the police are involved?! That is freaking insane.
He’s a weird dude who says stupid crap – and the police are involved?! That is freaking insane.