Quick movie review - Antichrist

Last year, a friend contacted me very excited. He is a TSA employee and had just left work at the airport, and he called me because he knew I am somewhat of a movie buff. He had just met Willem Dafoe at the airport, gotten an autograph and spoke to him for about 10 minutes. He said that Willem was a very friendly, down to earth guy and he was more than willing to chat about his projects – he had just finished acting in a relatively unknown project, Antichrist.

Per my friend’s recommendation, I saw the film last night. I think there are three words that sum up Antichrist perfectly: "What," "the," and "FUCK."

The film is Lars von Trier's highly visual avante garde creation. I am tempted to call it an experiment but that would imply possible failure. While I didn't love the movie, von Trier succeeded absolutely in creating a very distinct, artistic style. His cinematography and art design are masterful. The imagery of the film kept my interest, even during the longer (and admittedly very boring) scenes.

Throughout the film, however, and notably more and more as the plot develops, this imagery is disrupted horribly by some of the most explicit scenes I've ever seen in cinema. The nudity is gratuitous, the violence cringe-inducing, and several scenes appear to have been included for nothing more than shock factor. While much of the graphic content was completely unnecessary, I would probably not be writing right now if it was eliminated entirely. Just the preview of this movie caused people to faint at Cannes, and one scene in particular made me say either "Good God!" or "what the fuck??" by myself in my living room. I don't remember exactly.

Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, the only two speaking actors in the film, play a married couple attempting to restore their lives after a tragedy. He is a therapist critical of his wife’s treatment for manic depression, so he assumes the professional role of psychotherapist, using exposure therapy in an attempt to cure her. They retreat to a highly secluded cabin where she exhibits increasingly sexual and disruptive behavior, further complicating the therapy. The acting is exceptional, particularly Gainsbourg’s, and remains consistent as their collective state of mind evolves from bad to worse.

I worry that by divulging much more of the plot, I detract from what von Trier wanted to accomplish. I am also reluctant to languidly recommend this movie as one that “you just need to see.” The movie suffers from a very slow first hour in which the story is intricately constructed. To add to that, the artistic style isn’t for everybody and the more explicit scenes certainly aren’t for moviegoers who expect a fun flick and a bucket of popcorn.

But if you’re in the mood for something very different, head to Blockbuster and pick it up. Don’t put it in the DVD player if the kids are still awake, or if you’re on a first date. I make no promises that you will like it but at the very least, you will be talking about it the next day.

3 / 5