01-06-2016, 01:03 AM
Hmmm. Was El Dingo putting us on with his review in 2010? I mean, considering his taste for bat-shit gore and perversity, it's hard to believe I'd have a stronger stomach. But here's the review I wrote 20 minutes ago before seeing El Dingo's.
Antichrist (2009) by Lars von Trier
Another long dark journey into von Trier’s muddled psyche. As with his subsequent film Melancholia, this is an exercise in psychoanalysis by someone who doesn’t really believe in psychoanalysis.
The movie seemed rather tame for the first hour, considering it’s on the 366weirdmovies.com list. But then it veered off the tracks, rolled over a dozen times, and burst into flames in a bizarrely satisfying manner. Yes, it’s suitably weird, and not for the faint of heart.
Some critics have accused Lars von Trier of being misogynistic, and yes, there’s ample evidence for that interpretation in this movie. But von Trier is one fucked-up dude. He had just gotten out of a mental hospital when he shot this, and he was semi-functional throughout. Who knows what medications he might have been on. I really don’t think he was capable of a clear message making this film, and a lot of the misogynistic happenings could be interpreted in other ways. Add to that the fact that he was aiming to make a horror film and, well, the horror had to come from somewhere.
Worth seeing, if you have a strong stomach and are willing to cut von Trier some slack.
Antichrist serves as part 1 of what von Trier calls his Depression Trilogy. Melancholy is part 2, which I’ve reviewed elsewhere. Part 3 consists of two films: Nymphomaniac 1 and 2. Stay tuned.
I’m on a free one-month Netflix gorge-fest, by the way. This and upcoming films are not to be found at the library.
P.S. Here’s what John Waters had to say about Antichrist: "If Ingmar Bergman had committed suicide, gone to hell, and come back to earth to direct an exploitation/art film for drive-ins, [Antichrist] is the movie he would have made."
Antichrist (2009) by Lars von Trier
Another long dark journey into von Trier’s muddled psyche. As with his subsequent film Melancholia, this is an exercise in psychoanalysis by someone who doesn’t really believe in psychoanalysis.
The movie seemed rather tame for the first hour, considering it’s on the 366weirdmovies.com list. But then it veered off the tracks, rolled over a dozen times, and burst into flames in a bizarrely satisfying manner. Yes, it’s suitably weird, and not for the faint of heart.
Some critics have accused Lars von Trier of being misogynistic, and yes, there’s ample evidence for that interpretation in this movie. But von Trier is one fucked-up dude. He had just gotten out of a mental hospital when he shot this, and he was semi-functional throughout. Who knows what medications he might have been on. I really don’t think he was capable of a clear message making this film, and a lot of the misogynistic happenings could be interpreted in other ways. Add to that the fact that he was aiming to make a horror film and, well, the horror had to come from somewhere.
Worth seeing, if you have a strong stomach and are willing to cut von Trier some slack.
Antichrist serves as part 1 of what von Trier calls his Depression Trilogy. Melancholy is part 2, which I’ve reviewed elsewhere. Part 3 consists of two films: Nymphomaniac 1 and 2. Stay tuned.
I’m on a free one-month Netflix gorge-fest, by the way. This and upcoming films are not to be found at the library.
P.S. Here’s what John Waters had to say about Antichrist: "If Ingmar Bergman had committed suicide, gone to hell, and come back to earth to direct an exploitation/art film for drive-ins, [Antichrist] is the movie he would have made."