Scissor Sisters
New York Magazine has more about the Lars Von Trier controversy, first describing yesterday’s Cannes press event for Antichrist:
An indication of just how deeply its detractors despise the film: Von Trier was even booed at his press conference this afternoon, which devolved into an entertaining sadomasochistic psychodrama worthy of, well, a Lars von Trier movie.
An aggrieved British journalist kicked things off by demanding that the director “explain and justify why you made this movie.” Von Trier replied that he owed no explanations to anyone. “It’s the hand of God,” he said. “And I am the best film director in the world. I’m not sure if God is the best God in the world.” The questions were by turns hostile and placatory; Von Trier responded to everything in a hilariously smug deadpan. When someone suggested that Antichrist owed less to Tarkovsky’s arty meditations than to the B-movie schlock of Dario Argento, the director answered only with the most withering look of bewilderment and disgust. “You are all my guests,” he said at one point. “It’s not the other way around.”
For the benefit of anyone who’s still unclear about what’s got audiences so riled up, NYM runs a companion piece that paints a pretty word picture describing the most horrific scenes in grisly detail. I’ll post it after the cut, but it’s cringe-inducing stuff, so fair warning.
Read on only if you want to skip lunch and cross your legs for the rest of the day!
We suppose the following could technically be considered a spoiler, though we can’t imagine anyone would want to be taken by surprise by something like this in a movie theater. Are you sure you actually want to read this? Really? Really?? Okay!
So far, no review has gone into gruesome details, though, from what we gather, here’s how it goes down, more or less: After knocking him unconscious, Gainsbourg bores a hole in Dafoe’s leg with a hand drill and bolts him to a grindstone to keep him from escaping. Then, she smashes his scrotum with some sort of blunt object (the moment of impact happens slightly below the frame). We don’t actually see his testicles become disengaged from this body, though it’s apparently implied. Next, she brings him to a climax with her hands and he ejaculates blood (yes, it’s shown). But that’s not all! Later, in an extreme closeup — lensed by Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle! — Gainsbourg cuts off her own clitoris with a pair of scissors.
Worst. Date Movie. Ever.
Roger Ebert calls it “the most despairing film I’ve ever have seen.” Jeffrey Wells brands it a “fartbomb.” Movieline’s David Bourgeois says it’s “the most original and thought-provoking work von Trier has done since Breaking the Waves.” Variety’s Todd McCarthy, who must’ve been seated in the same row as Wells, says the movie “cuts a big fat art-film fart.” Our favorite reaction, though, is from the Times’s Manohla “Movie Killer” Dargis, who Ebert says he heard singing “That’s Entertainment!” as she left the theater.
30 Responses for "Lars and the Vile Girl"
So this will be NC-17 if they even show it in US theaters
Go Lars.
Ha! Yeah – go Lars.
Anti-Christ I think will slowly start building Internet appeal & eventually get a strong cult audience (possibly?) to contrast these bitter reviews, Lars Von Trier’s film have never pandered to mass consumption or popular reception overall.
Yeah, show them, Lars.
Like I said earlier, little Lars just wants to get attention from all the grown-ups in the room. Let’s just let him throw a tantrum for a little while, and eventually he’ll just simmer. Then we can all have a discussion like responsible adults. This actually reminds me of a song Paul Anka once sang. I can’t find a link for it, but it was on the Simpsons. Anybody remember how it goes?
From one of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials, Nick:
Paul Anka: To stop those monsters 1-2-3,
Here’s a fresh new way that’s trouble-free,
It’s got Paul Anka’s guarantee…
Lisa: Guarantee void in Tennessee.
All: Just don’t look! Just don’t look!
Just don’t look! Just don’t look!
Just don’t look! Just don’t look!
Wow. That sounds rough. But I’m willing to sit through anything in a movie theatre, so I’ll certainly give this a shot.
But damn, scrotum-smashing and clitoris-clipping sounds really, really uncool.
Great job, Ryan. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
And as for the clito-clip, whenever I hear the word ‘clitoris’, I think of the ‘South Park’ movie.
Clitoris s such a beautiful word.
I have to say that this movie does sound intriguing. I may not be on Lars’ side AFTER I see the film but right now it sounds like Lars has delivered something worthy of a “Horror” label.
(There is an unspoken contract between a filmmaker and his or her audience that should only be breached in very few instances.)
I’m reminded of the reaction some people had to Miike’s “Ichi the Killer” but which I found to be far too cartoony to be offensive.
Also, with the title like Antichrist what did the critics really expect?
I love Lars von Trier’s films and I think Antichrist sounds bloody good, if you’ll pardon the pun.
But please, Lars, stop acting like such an imbecile. Yes, the controversy is excellent, now that’s enough.
GIVE YOUR FILM A CHANCE, LARS! Your petty performance at the press conference befits the controversy your film has stirred up and enhances said controversy further, but you have made this film for a reason! You have included such shocking images for a reason! Your reactions could well ruin your efforts to get this film shown anywhere, never mind the USA.
Remember Manderlay? No? That’s because it wasn’t given a US release. One of the most successful things about Dogville was that it was shown in the US, thus serving its purpose as anti-American propaganda. It reminds me of when Michael Haneke remade Funny Games for an American audience – I’m no big fan of remakes, but for what the film was trying to say to its audience, this was a clever move indeed, increasing the size of the audience for his message.
With Manderlay, von Trier cut even deeper into the heart of America with stunning, frightening allegory. But it wasn’t shown in the US, because of a scene which would have cost it an NC-17 certificate. I’m afraid Antichrist won’t even get shown at all…
This year’s Medellin (Entourage) hahaha, that sucks Von Trier is a good director, who made films like Dancer in the Dark, and Dogville, but lately, he’s been making some not so good films. Especially this one of Anti-Christ, I mean look at the picture you can tell that the actress who played in the film is in embarrassed and disgust to even go out there, shes half French by the way. So yeah I feel bad for the whole thing. It sucks.
ha, Niles. Could be Von Trier is trying to coax a concealed mallet away from Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Or maybe she’s just not that into him.
I adore Charlotte Gainsbourg. (she’s a wonderful singer too)
Lars? nope….
Okay this is the first Dario Argento mention I’ve heard!
Antichrist is looking more exciting every minute. Love it.
Lars is also hilarious through it all.
Ok, I defended Lars in in the previous post the other day but it really pisses me off that he claims he doesn’t have to do likewise for himself. If you’re going to depict such scenes yes, you do have to justify yourself, if you don’t, you really do deserve most of the vitriolic criticism being piled on the film.
And, while I wouldn’t judge the film purely on the basis of what’s mentioned above, it is pretty worrisome that a degree of respect or excitement is being earned on just that basis from some of the commentators.
Lars stands behind his films so much, that even when he is booed and they are called trash and torture porn, he simply says: Thats okay. He is a true artist.
I simply cannot wait to see Antichrist.
This just topped Precious on my MUST SEE list (although i will see both)
I really want to see this. Sounds interesting
Casey,
Since when do director’s cop to their films being crap? Even Uwe Boll is willing to fight over his movies.
For those interested an audio stream of the press conference can be found at the New York Times Cannes page on the right sidebar.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/cannes_international_film_festival/index.html
He actually acquits himself very well. After what seemed a slightly nervous and intimidated start in the face of the much cited hostile opening assertion from a member of the press (what a self-righteous and pompous wanker) he increasingly takes control of the situation with his wit and clear-eyed intelligence. I was taken aback by the extent to which some of the press questions and comments were facile and judgmental.
People will either see value in his latest film or not. What appears clear is that Von Trier’s film is pushing powerful buttons for some and as a result they feel the need to annihilate the artist and his work. I admire Von Trier’s bemused and black humored reaction to it.
Anti-Christ I think will slowly start building Internet appeal & eventually get a strong cult audience (possibly?) to contrast these bitter reviews
@Nyc Oscar Buff: a very strong possibility. Many people are already becoming more interested in it than they were before.
Well this sounds like the feel-good family hit of the year.
@Free:
You betcha. Talking animals and all.
I would guess that those who enjoy this film will only enjoy it because it “pisses off the squares” not because of any intrinsic quality about the film itself. I can already intuit the glee in the voices of those who want to see Von Trier perform acts of iconoclasty on the human body… they aren’t really seeing the ejaculatory blood or the detatched clitoris, but the horrified look on the faces of those who “don’t get it”
A childish act of sadism by director and audience alike.
Lars rules. I cannot wait for this!
Oh, and MANDERLAY was released in the US…it wasn’t much of one but it did get distribution.
I’ve sit through irreversible, I’m not sure I wanna sit through something like this. Really. What’s the point of scenes like that? Anyone explains this to me and I may watch it.
Wow! I can’t wait! Im such a big Von Trier fan….
Pls make me see the world differently.
I hope he will make movies about guys. Im willing to be tortured,
I actually think Lars is talented and I wouldn’t have any problem with his work if it was placed in its proper category: TORTURE PORN.
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