Von Trier Retro Rundown
Now Playing: a work in progress
After last month's Kaurismaki retro and my troubles finding new stuff to say by the last couple of films, combined with the fact that I've seen the majority of these already, I've decided to write short pieces on the Von Trier films as I go along. Though how much or how little I can't really say...

DOGMA 2: THE IDIOTS (1998)- I remember hating this one the first time I caught it, mostly overlooking that the uncomfortable feeling you get while watching it is intentional. I'm still not a big fan- the pseudo-documentary structure feels imposed on the film mainly to enable Von Trier to be able to show the boom at some points- but while it flounders in some spots there are other moments of real power. My favorite is probably the film's most patient scene, as two "spazzing" (AKA acting retarded) members of the group corner each other in a bedroom and make love, their charades slowly falling away as the girl admits her love for the guy and begins to weep. This scene has a generosity for the characters that feels removed from much of the rest of the film. Bonus points for "spazzing" being a pointless excuse to tick off the bourgeois, but aside from jabbing at political correctness and counterculture pomposity, what does this film really have to say?
Rating: **1/2.

ZENTROPA (1991)- On the other hand I remember loving this one, being entranced by Von Trier's stylistic experiments (back-projection, color on black-and-white). This time around the novelty had worn off some- though kudos to Von Trier for refusing to even attempt to disguise the obviousness of his effects- but it still held quite a bit of interest. This is essentially a film-lover's geek-out movie, enabling in-the-know audiences to groove on its beautiful black-and-white photography and evocation of post-war cinema. The narrator-as-hypnotist is also a cool idea (particularly if you dig Max Von Sydow), allowing the story to float between and over plot points, as ultimately they're less important than the atmosphere and the vibe. Not sure if the color shots have any sort of governing purpose (that said, the father's suicide scene is a highlight), but it's a good time at the cinema. Also, the VERTIGO-like scoring during the midnight mass scene is neck-and-neck with the Ravel-ian opening music of FEMME FATALE for best unashamed soundalike music in recent memory. And in retrospect I think the casting of the vulpine Barbara Sukowa as the protagonist's dangerous lady love is a mistake, since I believe that her character is the key to the film's effectiveness, and the role requires someone who put forth the impression of being no stranger to deception, and Sukowa feels too sincere here. Someone like, say, Hanna Schygulla in her heyday could've knocked the role out of the park, particularly in her final scene, where the character affirms her love for the hero. A more duplicitous-seeming character would've given the scene the ironic punch it needs, a stinging and ironic "small consolation" charge. Still, good times.
Rating: ***.

BREAKING THE WAVES (1996)- just a few thoughts on this one, since I've seen it enough that there isn't much this viewing has revealed to me, except that the Bowie song during the final chapter intro works a heck of a lot better than the Elton John song on the video. And yes, the bells are still annoying, but this is the rare film of such power that it can actually survive a stumble at the finish.
Rating: ***1/2.

MEDEA (1988)- was kind of tired when I saw this, so it didn't really register as much as it should have, but was pretty interesting all the same. I've never read the original play, so I'm unable to say how well it captures the original's essence, but the film has the meditation-on-a-masterpiece feel that would make it more fascinating to those who are well-versed in Greek tragedy. To say nothing of auteurist types who would find endlessly compelling readings of the film based on its origin as a posthumous Dreyer screenplay, which would occupy their time in a similar manner to discussions of conflicts between the Kubrickian and Spielbergian aspects of AI. For me, this film was of interest mainly due to its visual motifs (the use of old-school video, the God's-eye-view shots) and some similarities to other Von Trier works, namely the suffering-mother archetype that later pops up in a different form in DANCER IN THE DARK. All in all, not one of Von Trier's finest, but certainly of interest to his fans, as well as people who are curious to see Udo Kier in a role that actually downplays his vampire-like presence.
Rating: **1/2.

EPIDEMIC (1988)- Von Trier's second theatrical feature stars him and collaborator Niels Vorsel as themselves, as they attempt to write a screenplay. The film flashes back and forth between scene of the filmmakers and footage from the film they're in the process of writing, centered around the epidemic of the title. Von Trier's style isn't as insistent here as in many of his other early works, but he clearly delineates the difference between the "fictional" scenes and the "reality" of the film by employing varying film stock and camera movement in each, with the exception of one instance that takes place at a pivotal point in the final scene. Without giving too much away, the film's climax is a doozy not only because it's so visceral but also because Von Trier plainly lays out what he expects from his audiences, though how literally he wishes us to take this scene is left up to debate. All in all, pretty fascinating.
Rating: **1/2.