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Lars von Trier is one of my favorite film makers and writers. His work is indescribably gorgeous in more ways than the visual, though the visual is astounding all on its own. I'm always surprised when people are unfamiliar with his work because it is not so obtuse or difficult to find in a video store. If you're looking for a movie or two to watch, then I've linked the trailers to some of my favorite von Trier films below.
Breaking the Waves - Bess, against the advice of her community, marries an outsider who works on an oil rig off the shore. She has a difficult time when he returns to work after their wedding, praying for him to come back to her. He does, eventually, but he is seriously injured and unable to walk or make love. His frustrations and mental issues stemming from the accident lead him to make a hurtful and dangerous request of Bess. He asks her to find other men to make love with, and then return to his bedside to describe it. Naive Bess, believing that the accident was her fault, thinks this task appointed to her by her husband will heal him because it will please God.
Dogville - Running from a shady past, Grace finds herself in a small, poor town called Dogville. The folk of the town take her in and forgive her her past, even find her a place to live and protect her from outsiders entering the town to look for her. However, good intentions eventually become corrupted and things in the town are not as idyllic as they might seem. I don't want to give away too much of this plot because this movie really is a tour de force when you watch it for the first time. Beyond that, there are so many questions brought up about morality and human nature that you'll be thinking about it days afterward. Also, you can't tell it from the trailer, but the entire movie is filled in a rather large sound stage. There are few props and no buildings. It is managed quite like a theater play, but don't let that discourage you from watching it.
Dancer in the Dark - Selma, a Czech immigrant, and her son move to the United States. She is going blind, and her son has the genetic defect as well. She believes the costly operation will save his sight, and working in America will allow her the opportunity to save up the money for it. However, she is betrayed by someone she comes to know as a close friend and eventually finds herself jailed and on death row. For those wary of musicals, this is most definitely a musical staring Bjork. It was filmed beautifully and has many very uplifting moments. However, I must warn you that by the time the credits rolled, I felt like every bit of life had been sucked out of my body. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I don't make it a habit of watching the credits, but Jason and I couldn't move or talk until after they had all rolled by.
Zentropa (Europa) - The original title of Europa was changed when it was released in North America. So, depending on where you are, it could be labeled as one or the other. This particular one tells the story of an American who takes work with a railway line as a sleeping car conductor in US-occupied Germany after World War II. He unwittingly becomes involved in a pro-Nazi terrorist plot through his association with a woman he's fallen in love with on the train. I found the entire movie to be very surreal and otherworldly. The vast majority of the film is in black and white, but color does intrude in certain scenes or places. This one is probably not as accessible as the three mentioned above, but it is still quite good.
Dear Wendy - Lars von Trier was not the director of this gem of a movie, but he was the script writer. If you're looking for a cult classic in the making, then this movie is for you. Dick Dandelion is a self-declared pacifist when he discovers a toy gun he had bought as a gift is actually real and in working order. He and a friend who is more knowledgeable about guns develop a club of sorts called The Dandies. They invite several misfit kids in the town to join it on the stipulation that they all find "partners," guns that they give names to and carry with them at all times. The guns are always to be concealed, never flashed or shown to anyone outside the club, and never ever used except for target practice in their clubhouse. These rules, of course, are inevitably going to be broken.
On a side note--it's snowing! Jason and I were running errands (i.e. buying gerbil/hamster food) when the white stuff started pouring from the sky. We grabbed some food for dinner to be heated up later and hurried home. People in Albuquerque were never taught how to drive in inclement weather conditions, and I certainly don't want to be rear-ended by someone who doesn't slow down while driving on snow/ice.
Breaking the Waves - Bess, against the advice of her community, marries an outsider who works on an oil rig off the shore. She has a difficult time when he returns to work after their wedding, praying for him to come back to her. He does, eventually, but he is seriously injured and unable to walk or make love. His frustrations and mental issues stemming from the accident lead him to make a hurtful and dangerous request of Bess. He asks her to find other men to make love with, and then return to his bedside to describe it. Naive Bess, believing that the accident was her fault, thinks this task appointed to her by her husband will heal him because it will please God.
Dogville - Running from a shady past, Grace finds herself in a small, poor town called Dogville. The folk of the town take her in and forgive her her past, even find her a place to live and protect her from outsiders entering the town to look for her. However, good intentions eventually become corrupted and things in the town are not as idyllic as they might seem. I don't want to give away too much of this plot because this movie really is a tour de force when you watch it for the first time. Beyond that, there are so many questions brought up about morality and human nature that you'll be thinking about it days afterward. Also, you can't tell it from the trailer, but the entire movie is filled in a rather large sound stage. There are few props and no buildings. It is managed quite like a theater play, but don't let that discourage you from watching it.
Dancer in the Dark - Selma, a Czech immigrant, and her son move to the United States. She is going blind, and her son has the genetic defect as well. She believes the costly operation will save his sight, and working in America will allow her the opportunity to save up the money for it. However, she is betrayed by someone she comes to know as a close friend and eventually finds herself jailed and on death row. For those wary of musicals, this is most definitely a musical staring Bjork. It was filmed beautifully and has many very uplifting moments. However, I must warn you that by the time the credits rolled, I felt like every bit of life had been sucked out of my body. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I don't make it a habit of watching the credits, but Jason and I couldn't move or talk until after they had all rolled by.
Zentropa (Europa) - The original title of Europa was changed when it was released in North America. So, depending on where you are, it could be labeled as one or the other. This particular one tells the story of an American who takes work with a railway line as a sleeping car conductor in US-occupied Germany after World War II. He unwittingly becomes involved in a pro-Nazi terrorist plot through his association with a woman he's fallen in love with on the train. I found the entire movie to be very surreal and otherworldly. The vast majority of the film is in black and white, but color does intrude in certain scenes or places. This one is probably not as accessible as the three mentioned above, but it is still quite good.
Dear Wendy - Lars von Trier was not the director of this gem of a movie, but he was the script writer. If you're looking for a cult classic in the making, then this movie is for you. Dick Dandelion is a self-declared pacifist when he discovers a toy gun he had bought as a gift is actually real and in working order. He and a friend who is more knowledgeable about guns develop a club of sorts called The Dandies. They invite several misfit kids in the town to join it on the stipulation that they all find "partners," guns that they give names to and carry with them at all times. The guns are always to be concealed, never flashed or shown to anyone outside the club, and never ever used except for target practice in their clubhouse. These rules, of course, are inevitably going to be broken.
On a side note--it's snowing! Jason and I were running errands (i.e. buying gerbil/hamster food) when the white stuff started pouring from the sky. We grabbed some food for dinner to be heated up later and hurried home. People in Albuquerque were never taught how to drive in inclement weather conditions, and I certainly don't want to be rear-ended by someone who doesn't slow down while driving on snow/ice.
