Antichrist

Antichrist

Director:

Lars von Trier

Writer:

Lars von Trier

Starring:

Willem Dafoe
Charlotte Gainsbourg

Rating:

R

Quotes:

What do you think is supposed to happen in the woods?
Chaos reigns.
A crying woman is a scheming woman.
Nature is Satan's church.

Artsy 'Symbolic' CRAP!

Rating:  3 of 10 stars.

After I saw an advance screening of this film [to screen 10-12 with a live appearance by DAFOE -- tho it's reportedly already SOLD OUT], I talked to a magazine writer who related having seen the film twice before:  at the CANNES Film Festival, he noticed around half the people CHEERED after it was over--  & the other half BOOED with disgust at what they'd seen.  Then, last month at the TORONTO Film Fest, partly because the "buzz" about the film was gone, most people seemed "BLASÉ" after the screening.  I then related MY reaction to it (in the title line above)...

I don't know what's going on with certain filmmakers lately. Do they feel a need to go to huge "extremes" to try to be "NOTICED" (among a mass of film releases), or what?  This film (like "LAW ABIDING CITIZEN") was chock full of GRATUITOUSLY GRAPHIC pointlessly VICIOUS VIOLENCE - like the director preferred our seeing an example of the IN-human condition... 

I "get" the "ARTSY" attempts- walking up to a short bridge [when it would've been easier just STEPPING across the small creek right in front of you], the rain hitting the windows, the items (like acorns) pelting the roof of the cabin, etc...

...  I saw the fact the woman HAD been taking a bunch of PILLS for an imprecisely-described "state" (which appears more related to a never-discussed BI-POLAR type condition than simple "depression")...  But why is non-medical sort of "psychoanalyst" WILLEM DAFOE "treating" his own WIFE (CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG) & spending time asking her a bunch of often-nebulous "questions", rather than getting her effective TREATMENT for what's clearly a massive problem she has?!... 

...  I admired the HARD WORK put in by Dafoe & Gainsbourg in very DIFFICULT roles (that "open" themselves up mightily to the world--  sexually & otherwise)...  But, again, I found the appalling ANGER portrayed & the BRUTALITY of the actions by both married "partners" to be horrendously OFF-putting & not really "covered" by the script or story portrayed...  I'm aware people might want to see the film to decide just who's "RIGHT" about it--  but, I just want you to be "WARNED" about what lies ahead of you!...

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