| Author | Message | ||
     Karim Ghahwagi (Karim) Username: Karim Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.163.6.13 |
Lars Von Trier has finally made a no holds barred horror picture, and it is his most memorable piece of work since The Kingdom; it is also the most devastating and disturbing horror picture I have seen the last ten years. The film is made even more aggravating because it is laced with black humour. It draws on the tradition of the weird tale and then it escalates into the most disturbing survival horror film anyone can imagine. Imagine Conrad William's novella Rain, set in a sort of German expressionist/ Tarkovskian dreamy landscape, beautifully shot. It was almost like experiencing the woods the way our esteemed landlord would portray it on celluloid-(as in the Darkest Part of the Woods) Forget seeing an uncensored version on celluloid in England- it will be censored- it has everything from genital mutilation, penetration, and it doesn't flinch, it doesn't cut away- but it is nowhere as tasteless as something like Hostel for example- which makes it more disturbing indeed. Willem Dafoe is of course amazing, and Trier uses his face to create an escalating sense of dread. The horror picture of the year so far no doubt. I don't know if it will win the Palm d'or at Cannes tonight, the british press have been tough on the film- A journalist of the Independent asked Von Trier at the press conference 'Why he had made the film' The journalist was clearly shaken by the film. Almadovar accused him of being misogynist. It is laced with that- but it moves in context of the story it wants to tell. Go see. Or get the uncensored director's cut down the line. The only things that bothered me were some sections in the script which creaked- I think it was a translation from a Danish language screenplay which Von Trier wrote himself (during his two year nervous breakdown he claimed) A decent score as well, but not fantastic. Some stunning slow motion black and white photography in the heart breaking opening. Trailer: http://www.antichristthemovie.com/?language=da | ||
| Karim Ghahwagi (Karim) Username: Karim Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.163.6.13 |
I just heard that Charlotte Gainsbourg has in fact just won for best female lead at Cannes for her role in Antichrist. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.177.119.24 |
...and the talking fox was up for an award too - the Palm Dog:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8064150.stm As for cuts, I couldn't even find it on the BBFC site, but that's probably just me. | ||
| Karim Ghahwagi (Karim) Username: Karim Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.163.6.13 |
The talking fox moment I think will be a classic-'Chaos will reign' I think it says, if I remember correctly, and yes it has gotten some hate sent its way too- it will ruffle some features (thank god). The Danes do have a tradition as of late at least, of pissing lots of people off- embassies burn, flags get torn, stuff like that. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.241.143 |
I really, really want to see this - I find the director's work fascinating. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Karim! | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Well, it won't be on the BBFC's web site until it's submitted. Karim, I don't know if it will be censored - the BBFC have become much more liberal in this century. Destricted, for instance, was passed uncut with an 18, not even an R18, and so was the hardcore edit of Caligula. | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Well, here's the news: http://www.melonfarmers.co.uk/bw.htm#Cuts_Uncut_5235 Good for Artificial Eye - I would expect no less of them. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.177.119.24 |
That's good news - I believe only a few days ago the film didn't even have a UK distributor. | ||
| Karim Ghahwagi (Karim) Username: Karim Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.163.6.13 |
Excellent that it might be released uncensored- it is important that the film be shown in full- to get the devastating power of some of the scenes in the film- The Artificial Eye article however gives some of the plot away alas...but all for a good cause then. The film is hard to shake off even a day later... | ||
| Niki Flynn (Niki) Username: Niki Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 78.32.69.29 |
I've been anticipating this one since I first heard about it and I can't wait to see it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for an uncut UK release, but if the BBFC decide it's too dangerous for our fragile little minds I'll just order a Region 1 DVD. | ||
| Richard_gavin (Richard_gavin) Username: Richard_gavin Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 65.110.174.71 |
I can't wait for this film either. I'll be skipping the "Catholic-friendly" version that the director is apparently planning for U.S. cinemas. I'll hold out for the uncut DVD instead. This should tie some sufficient knots in my already warped psyche. | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
I've just heard from the British distributors that the film has been passed uncut with an 18. | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.210.209.176 |
Great news, Ramsey. Although I think I'll be waiting for the DVD. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 99.126.164.88 |
Just thought I'd mention to those of you out there who get this in time and are in the States and/or get the Sundance Channel: ANTICHRIST is showing tonight, at 8:30 PST (and I believe uncut, since Sundance usually shows movies that way). I've been wanting to catch this one for a while, so I'm eagerly dvr-ing it. Fwiw.... | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 99.126.164.88 |
At long last, got around to seeing it. After all the high expectations for extreme gore/violence, I was amazingly underwhelmed; but the rest of those high expectations, were met and surpassed. One can look at this film many different ways: one way, is purely as a by-the-numbers (and I don't mean that disparagingly) horror story. I can't say I understood every little shot or scene, but does that matter? Disturbing, engaging, imaginative, penetrating (*ahem*), and highly stylized. More like this one, please!  | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 82.29.244.47 |
I see 'Antichrist' as how serious horror cinema should have evolved since its peak in the 1970s with films like 'The Exorcist' and 'Don't Look Now'. It stands out as a supreme masterpiece of the genre, imo, and is challenged only by David Lynch's 'Inland Empire' for horror movie of the new millennium so far. My experience of seeing it was made all the more memorable by having to fight my way through hordes of frenzied Free Presbyterian protestors. I came out afterward high on cinema. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 99.126.164.88 |
Antichrist doesn't live up to either, sorry Stevie, Exorcist nor Don't Look Now (though thanks for reminding me of the latter, the opening to which Antichrist was so reminding me of—both films begin the same). Von Trier's film doesn't feel to have the same depth as those, and I doubt I'd ever want to see this again. Willem Dafoe was okay, but his performance was unengagingly wooden; and Charlotte Gainsbourg was merely and imperfectly channeling a far more nuanced and chilling Isabelle Adjani, from another rather similar film, Possession (1981)—also, sadly, and by many paces, a finer horror film than this one.... | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 99.126.164.88 |
Gee, I guess from that last post, it looks like I really didn't like it. I think in the cold light of morning, my feelings are somewhat tempered. It's finer than most films I think come out of Hollywood, and again, I mean it—please give me more of this! But in reminding me of those other films, Stevie, the pinnacles of the form... I'm forced in having to shrink back on my enthusiasm.... | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 82.29.244.47 |
I thought it was magnificent, Craig. Subtle, intelligent, unsettling in the extreme, fascinatingly multi-layered and beautifully shot with impressively full-blooded performances. A film to watch over and over again and see new things and different meanings in each time. Von Trier done good - both deconstructing and celebrating adult horror cinema at the same time. Numerous scenes from that film have haunted me since first seeing it... and I don't just mean the obvious ones. |