Best 8 Films of Lars von Trier
Groundbreaking: Kidman, Bjork, Shia LaBeouf, Willem Dafoe +
Lars von Trier has made a name for himself as somewhat of an agent provocateur. He tackles subjects head-on and doesn’t shy away from graphic sexuality or brutalism. He has also had his fair share of controversies over the years. In 2017, Björk, who starred in von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark, accused a Danish film director she had worked with of sexual harassment. While she did not name von Trier, people could parse together enough information to determine she meant him. He also got himself temporarily banned from Cannes for saying he sympathized with Hitler, which is somewhat ironic given that the man who raised him was Jewish, and his biological father led a resistance group against the Nazis. Perhaps von Trier should stick to making movies and stop making controversial comments in public. Then again, those allegations from Björk are disturbing, and in today’s cultural reckoning, maybe it’s time to say goodbye to von Trier. There is no denying he is a problematic and polarizing figure, which begs the question, what do we do with his undeniably important and influential oeuvre? Can we divorce the artist from his work, or are they too closely intertwined? Here are eight of his best films and their trailers. Do you look at his work differently knowing what you do, or are you able to enjoy them as films devoid of who created them?
Europa
Set just after WWII, the film follows an American of German descent who takes a job trying to help Germany rebuild. However, things are not as they seem and he finds himself thrust into a politically perilous situation. The movie won several awards at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, but it did not win the Palme d’Or, von Trier reacted by flipping off the judges and storming out.
Melancholia
This deeply unsettling movie focuses on two sisters who try to repair their fractured relationship as a mysterious new planet is hurtling down on a collision course with Earth. It was actually at the press conference for Melancholia at the Cannes Film Festival that von Trier made his pro-Hitler remarks.
Nymphomaniac l + Nymphomaniac ll
This two-part erotic drama follows a woman as she recounts her sexual exlpoits to a man who saved her from an assault. The first film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, while the second premiered at Venice. The movie is notable for its graphic sexuality and use of porn body doubles for the main actors.
Dancer in the Dark
A Czech immigrant moves to the United States with her young son, expecting life to be like a movie musical. Unfortunately, she is going blind and her son will suffer the same fate if she cannot raise enough money for him to have an operation. The film won the Palme d”Or at Cannes. This is also the set on which von Trier allegedly harassed Björk.
Breaking the Waves
A devoutly religious Scottish woman is convinced by her partner to have sexual relationships with other men after he becomes paralyzed by a neck injury. The film garnered an Academy Award nomination for Emily Mortimer’s performance in the lead role. This is perhaps von Trier’s least controversial project.
Dogville
A woman on the run from a vicious criminal seeks refuge in the town of Dogville. Her salvation is not given freely however, and she must work to stay in the good graces of the townsfolk lest they turn on her. The film received mixed reviews, with some critics finding it pretentious and exasperating, while others viewed it as a masterpiece.
Antchrist
A couple grieving the death of their young son travel to a cabin in the woods, once there the wife begins to manifest exceedingly dangerous sexual behaviors. This was another film of his to premiere at Cannes where the ecumenical jury awarded it a special “anti-award” and declared it “the most misogynist movie from the self-proclaimed biggest director in the world.”
